R Kelly ordered to be held in jail through weekend

Singer-songwriter R Kelly made a brief appearance in Chicago federal court on Friday and was ordered to be held in jail at least through the weekend.

The 52-year-old singer wore an orange jail jumpsuit as he stood in front of the judge with his hands behind his back and replied, "Yes, Ma'am'' when asked a question during the hearing, which continued for nearly 15 minutes, reported Page Six.

The hearing took place to determine when Kelly will be transferred to New York to face federal sex-crime charges there. The decision was postponed at least until Monday.

Kelly was arrested in Chicago on Thursday night. He is also facing new federal sex charges in a separate indictment there, as well. Both indictments, in Brooklyn and Chicago, were unsealed Friday.

 

Kelly already faces state charges in Chicago for alleged sexual abuse and other crimes involving underage girls.

Much of the sexual misconduct Kelly is accused of happened in the 1990s but in 2017, Illinois passed a bill that eliminated the statutes of limitations for all felony criminal sexual assault and sexual abuse crimes against children.

Kelly was charged in February with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, involving four alleged victims, including three who prosecutors say were underage girls. The charges cover allegations from 1998 to 2010.

In May, a grand jury indicted him with 11 more charges pertaining to one of those four accusers. Those charges included not only aggravated criminal sexual abuse but also more serious charges -- aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony, and criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony.

A person convicted of Class X felonies can be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. Class 1 and 2 felonies generally carry lower maximum penalties.

The singer has faced accusations of abuse and inappropriate encounters with girls and young women for more than two decades.