R&B star R. Kelly is still in a Chicago jail after he was taken into custody on Saturday. Also, he was indicted on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse in Illinois’ Cook County against four women.
His bond was set at $1 million, $250,000 for each of the alleged victims.
To leave, he had to pay 10% of the total bond but he has failed to raise the money despite his lawyer’s satisfaction with the bond.
“He’s trying to get it together. He doesn’t have it sitting in the bank,” his lawyer, Steve Greenberg, told reporters on Saturday, adding that his client “really doesn’t have any money at this point” due to mismanagement, hangers-on and bad deals, but he will be able to raise the money.
Moreso, This is not the only financial trouble facing the actor whom prosecutors say three of his accusers were underage at the time of the sexual abuse.
FCNN reports that R. Kelly owed more than $169,000 in unpaid child support to his ex-wife as of February 6. According to court documents, he was also ordered to make a monthly payment of $20,833 on January 8, 2009, but he failed to show up to that hearing.
The disgraced singer was again ordered by a judge to pay $161,663 by March 6 to avoid being held in contempt of court. His lawyer told CNN that Kelly “does not have to pay the child support before getting out. The state is trying to make him do that, or they were, but the judge said no.”
Days after Lifetime’s three-night documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly”, was aired in January detailing accusations of sexual abuse and pedophilia by the singer, R Kelly was facing eviction at his Chicago studio for owing more than $166,000 in unpaid rent.
He is also reported to owe a Georgia property management company more than $31,000 in past due rent payments for two homes in Atlanta, court documents in Fulton County, Georgia, claim.
The “Surviving R. Kelly” docu-series revealed years of allegations of sexual misconduct against the singer as scores of people criticized the musician and hoped that the alleged victims would get justice.
Meanwhile, R. Kelly has strongly denied any allegations of abuse or misconduct. His attorney, Steve Greenberg, said Cook County State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx, succumbed to public pressure and that his client is an innocent man. “I think all the women are lying,” Greenberg said.
The incidents, in which three of the alleged victims were minors, took place between 1998 and 2010. The victims were identified only by their initials in a press conference and legal documents, Variety reported.
The indictment came days after a sex tape reportedly surfaced featuring Kelly engaging in sexual acts with an underage girl, according to CNN. TMZ reported that a grand jury was convened in the case in Cook County, Illinois, earlier this week and that two women had testified.
Kelly has faced several accusations of abuse, manipulation and inappropriate encounters with young girls and women for more than two decades, but he has never been convicted.
In recent times, two women came forward at a press conference, accusing the singer of misconduct when they were 16 and 15 years old respectively.
If convicted, Kelly faces three to seven years in prison for each count.
