A judge has set the bond on R Kelly‘s release from custody at $1m at the first court hearing into the singer’s 10 charges of sexual abuse.
Judge John Lyke Jr set the bail sum, and ordered that Kelly and his associates are not to contact the four women who have accused Kelly of sexual offences. He has been ordered to hand in his passport, to prevent him attempting to flee the US.
Kelly’s lawyer Steven Greenberg had asked for a lawyer bail sum, saying the singer has financial difficulties. On hearing that his client has to surrender his passport, Greenberg joked: “Contrary to the song, he doesn’t like to fly,” a reference to ‘I Believe I Can Fly’.
In the indictment, Kelly has been accused of “sexual penetration” of women aged 13-16. The age of consent in Illinois, where the charges have been filed, is 17.
Judge Lyke Jr is the judge who oversaw the bail hearing of Empire actor Jussie Smollett this week.
Yesterday (February 22), State Attorney Kim Foxx outlined the charges against Kelly. Four charges relate to a girl identified as HW between May 1998-1999. Two charges relate to a girl identified as RL from September 1998-September 2001. LC alleges sexual abuse took place on February 18, 2003.
The most recent case in the charges is from JP. Three charges are based on her claims of sexual abuse from May 2009-January 2010.
The charges relating to RL are from a sex tape in which Foxx says: “The victim repeatedly says she is 14-years-old. Robert Kelly is seen penetrating the victim orally and vaginally.”
Foxx says that JP gave authorities a shirt with semen on it, claiming it was Kelly’s. It is alleged that Kelly repeatedly slapped and choked her and spat on her.
Kelly has previously denied all accusations of sexual abuse.