R. Kelly was unable to post $100,000 bail and remains in prison after pleading not guilty to 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, according to CNN. Kelly’s bail was set at $1 million by a Chicago judge, $250,000 for each of the four victims.
Kelly was to pay $100,000, 10% of his total bail, in order to be released, but could not do so. Steve Greenberg, Kelly’s attorney, stated to reporters Saturday that his client “really doesn’t have any money at this point” due to “mismanagement,” “hangers-on,” and “bad deals.”
Kelly pled not guilty to 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse after turning himself in to the police on February 22, according to Pitchfork. The charges involve four underage girls who prosecutors say Kelly abused from 1998 to 2010.
On February 14, a new videotape emerged allegedly showing Kelly assaulting another underage girl. The tape was provided to CNN as well as Cook County prosecutors by lawyer Michael Avenatti.
This indictment follows the airing of “Surviving R. Kelly” on Lifetime in January. The docuseries features interviews with women who allege they were abused by Kelly, claims that Kelly has denied for some time.
Greenberg recently called Kelly “an innocent man,” and stated “he’s got a lot of support and he’s going to be vindicated on all these charges.”
According to Consequence of Sound, if Kelly is convicted in Chicago, he will serve 40-70 years in prison. In addition to this, Kelly in under investigation in Georgia over similar claims of assault and imprisonment. A second grand jury has been assembled in the Southern District of New York based on investigations of the FBI and IRS, and a third grand jury could been convened by the Department of Homeland Security over alleged sex trafficking.