R. Kelly pleads not guilty to sexual assault

CHICAGO — Grammy-winning R&B star R. Kelly pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he sexually assaulted three teenage girls and a woman in alleged incidents dating back to 1998, weeks after a television documentary leveled new accusations against him. The 52-year-old performer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was charged in a 10-count indictment returned on Friday by a Cook County grand jury in Chicago, and later surrendered to police. If convicted, he would face up to seven years in prison for each count. Bond was set on Saturday at $1 million, and Kelly remained locked up over the weekend. On Monday morning, Kelly, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, appeared in a Chicago courtroom before Associate Judge Lawrence Flood and spoke only to confirm his name. His lawyer, Steven Greenberg, entered a not guilty plea on Kelly’s behalf. The recording star was released from custody several hours later after $100,000 cash bail was posted by a friend, county sheriff’s spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said. Prosecutors say Kelly’s alleged victims include a teenager he met when she sought an autograph during his 2008 trial on child pornography charges, another he met at her 16th birthday party and his hairdresser, who was then 24. The singer was acquitted of the 2008 pornography charges. A fourth charge is based on a videotape that purportedly shows Kelly and a 14-year-old girl engaged in sexual acts, according to prosecutors. —