Yahoo News R Kelly's met minor he allegedly had sex with 'during porn trial' court hears as judge sets $1 million bond
R&B singer R. Kelly met one of the underage girls he is accused of sexually abusing during his 2008 child pornography trial, prosecutors disclosed on Saturday.
The charges relate to four alleged victims, at least three of whom were girls aged between 13 and 16 years old whom he allegedly abused between 1998 and 2010, a bond hearing in Cook County was told.
It come after years of allegations directed at the musician, accusing the now 52-year-old of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls. Through his lawyers, he has consistently denied them.
It emerged in court on Saturday that Kelly met one of the alleged victims while on trial for child pornography charges stemming from a video prosecutors alleged showed him having sex with a girl as young as 13. He was later acquitted by a jury.
The prosecutor revealed during a bond hearing for the singer yesterday that the two met when he gave her an autograph, and that she was underage at the time. He met another of the accusers when she was celebrating her 16th birthday party at a restaurant.
Kim Foxx, the Cook County State's Attorney, said the singer's DNA was found in semen on shirts worn by two of the four accusers and prosecutors have a video of another accuser that shows Kelly having sex with her when she was 14.
A fourth accuser, who was 24 at the time, told prosecutors that she thought she was going to braid Kelly's hair, but that he instead tried to force her to give him oral sex.
The singer, whose legal name is Robert Kelly, is one of the top-selling recording artists of all time. He has won multiple Grammys, including for his hit-song, “I Believe I Can Fly”.
He stood with his hands behind his back and said to Cook County Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr, "How are you?" as he made his first court appearance yesterday. His lawyer, Steve Greenberg, said his client is not a flight risk telling Judge Lyke, "Contrary to the song, Mr Kelly doesn't like to fly."
Judge Lyke called the allegations "disturbing." The singer-songwriter looked down at the floor as judge spoke.
The judge has set Kelly's bail at $1m (£766,500). The bond equals $250,000 for each of the four people Kelly is charged with abusing. Kelly must post $100,000 to be released.
After the hearing, Mr Greenberg told reporters that he thinks all four of the accusers are lying. "He did not force anyone to have sex. He's a rock star. He doesn't have to have non-consensual sex," he said.
