FREEDOM TASTES GOOD
R Kelly heads to McDonald’s after ‘female friend pays his $100k bail’ for aggravated sexual abuse charges
R KELLY headed straight to McDonald's after being released from jail as he waits for his trial over aggravated sexual abuse.
The R&B star, 52, spent three days behind bars amid reports he was struggling to cough up the $100,000 (£77,000) necessary to bail him out.
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Court records show a 47-year-old woman from Chicago paid the bail and identified herself on the bond slip as "a friend" of Kelly, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The singer was escorted by his entourage into a black, unmarked van as he left the Chicago jail on Monday before eating burgers at a McDonald's.
Hours earlier, R Kelly pleaded not guilty to the charges that he sexually abused four people dating back to 1998, including three underage girls.
He said little during the brief arraignment, telling the judge only his name. His lawyers spoke on his behalf.
The singer-songwriter was arrested Friday on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse.
NOT ALLOWED CONTACT WITH TEEN FEMALES
Under the terms of the release he is not permitted any contact with any females under the age of 18.
During the bail hearing in Chicago, Mr Greenberg argued that Kelly was not wealthy despite him being one of the best-selling music artists in the US with over 30million albums sold.
His lawyer said his financial problems had been caused by mismanagement, ban contracts and other issues.
Kelly handed himself in on Friday after prosecutors announced ten charges involving four women — three of them aged from 13 to 16 at the time.
If convicted he faces three to seven years on each count, said Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx.
He met one of the alleged victims during his 2008 child abuse trial, the judge heard.
She is said to have asked for an autograph and allegedly abused the underage girl while the trial was going on.
'SHELLSHOCKED'
The 2008 trial stemmed from a video that was said to show him having sex with an underage girl as young as 13. He was acquitted.
Yesterday his lawyer said all his accusers were lying after he was charged with ten counts of aggravated sexual abuse.
Mr Greenberg said Kelly was "extraordinarily disappointed and depressed" and added: "He is shellshocked by this."
The charges came days after campaigning lawyer Michael Avenatti uncovered video that allegedly shows R Kelly having sex with a girl who says on camera she is 14.
The 43-minute tape is said to feature a man "who appears to be R Kelly performing multiple sex acts with the girl", reported.
She and the singer refer to her age ten times, according to reports, and she calls him "daddy".
The man allegedly asks the girl to urinate before he urinates on her, the broadcaster claims.
SEX ABUSE CLAIMS
The prosecution released further details of the allegations against the singer on Saturday.
In one case cited, a 16-year-old who attended his child pornography trial in 2008 got his autograph after a court session.
He is later said to have invited her to his Chicago home where they had sex multiple times, according to the documents, which claimed he also slapped, chocked and spat on her.
Kelly has faced claims of sexual abuse for more than two decades.
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MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
Most recently in the Netflix documentary Surviving R Kelly revealed harrowing accounts of his alleged abuse.
It claimed he ran an "abusive cult" in which he allegedly kept women captive.
Kelly's lawyers dismissed the documentary as "another round of stories" being used to "fill reality TV time".
R Kelly free on bail after spending weekend in Chicago jail on sex abuse charges
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