NEW YORK (AP) - A federal judge in New York on Tuesday rejected a request by R&B singer R. Kelly to release him from a Chicago jail because he is concerned about contracting the coronavirus behind bars.
"The defendant is currently in custody because of the risks that he may escape or attempt to obstruct, threaten or intimidate potential witnesses," wrote US District Judge Ann Donnelly of Brooklyn in her decision. "The defendant has not explained how those risks have changed."
Kelly, 53, has been at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center since he was charged with federal charges of child pornography, obstruction of justice, and systematic blackmail.
Three federal prison employees have tested positive for the virus, but no infected inmate has been reported. Cases have been reported at the Chicago Cook County Jail and other correctional facilities around the country. Kelly's attorneys filed the request in late March arguing that people in such centers were at particular risk of contracting the virus.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said the Chicago jail and other federal jails have taken steps to prevent the spread of the virus. They also wrote that the "general risk" that a prisoner could contract the virus did not justify its release.
Kelly has denied that she abused anyone and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He faces dozens of state and federal charges of sexual misconduct in Illinois, Minnesota and New York, from sexual abuse to leading a scheme aimed at finding young girls.