Musician R. Kelly, centre, arrives for a court hearing in Chicago (Matt Marton/AP)
Singer R Kelly is expected to plead not guilty to 11 new sex-related charges when he appears in court in Chicago.
Thursday’s hearing in Cook County comes a week after prosecutors announced the new counts, including four of aggravated criminal sexual assault. Each carries a maximum prison term of 30 years.
Kelly pleaded not guilty in February to 10 related counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving three girls and one woman over a period of about 10 years starting in the late 1990s.
The judge could revoke his bail bond and order him to be jailed pending trial.
However, legal experts say that is highly unlikely.
Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, has said the accuser in the new charges is one of the four accusers in the February charges.
Even with more charges, he has said Kelly still expects to prevail at trial.
