R. Kelly Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Sex Abuse Charges in Brooklyn

R. Kelly has pled not guilty to sex abuse charges at an arraignment in a federal court in Brooklyn, The Associated Press reports. Kelly was reportedly denied bail and will be returned to Chicago, according to CBSNewYork. A report by The New York Times states that the presiding judge in Brooklyn denied Kelly bail due to “the strong possibility of witness tampering” in Kelly’s upcoming trial.

Kelly was arrested in Chicago on July 11 on federal charges related to child pornography and obstruction of justice. He was then extradited to New York where he’s facing a five-count indictment for alleged crimes “involving the coercion and transportation of women and girls in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity,” according to the Department of Justice. Kelly previously pled not guilty to the charges leveled against him by the U.S. District Court in Chicago.

In February, R. Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois. He turned himself in to authorities on those charges, which allege that Kelly abused four women, three of whom were minors, between the years of 1998 and 2010. Kelly pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts of aggravated criminal assault. In May, Kelly was charged with 11 more counts of sexual abuse. Four of the 11 counts were labeled as Class X felonies. He has pled not guilty.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork