R&B star R. Kelly is facing another night in jail.
The Grammy-winning singer, real name Robert Sylvester Kelly, who for years has faced allegations that he abused women and underage girls, appeared in court in Chicago on Saturday on charges of sexual assault of four people, including three teens.
Cook County Judge John Lyke set bail at $1 million (about R14m) for Kelly, 52, after calling the allegations “disturbing”.
But Kelly is unable to make bail, as his finances are said to be in a mess after he was dropped by his record label RCA.
This after the airing of the six-hour documentary, titled Surviving R. Kelly, in which multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and abuse.
At his first court appearance, prosecutors alleged he solicited underage girls for sex while on trial for child pornography in 2008, and he invited an underage girl to his home.
Prosecutors depicted Kelly as manipulative and violent.
Other accusers included a girl who met Kelly at her 16th birthday party and a hairdresser who expected to braid the singer’s hair only to find he wanted oral sex instead, court documents said.
He was charged with a 10-count indictment on Friday, some months after the Lifetime TV network aired doccie.
The judge also ordered Kelly not to have contact with anyone under the age of 18.
Cook County state’s attorney, Kimberly Foxx, told media three of the four victims were under 17 at the time of the abuse, dating back to 1998.
His lawyer, Steven Greenberg, said prosecutors had “rushed to judgment” due to public pressure.
Lawyer Michael Avenatti said he had obtained a videotape from the late 1990s depicting Kelly performing sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl.
Avenatti, who said he represents two victims, two parents and two whistleblowers from Kelly’s inner circle, told reporters he had given the tape to authorities.