(AllHipHop News) R. Kelly’s sex abuse trial in Chicago, Illinois has been postponed from April to October to allow investigators extra time to process new evidence collected in a recent raid.
The singer appeared at an arraignment hearing on Thursday, when he pleaded not guilty to an updated indictment filed last month after another woman claimed she had sex with Kelly in the late 1990s when she was 14 or 15.
The 53-year-old was already facing a multitude of charges, including engaging in sex acts with other minors, threatening his alleged victims, and aggravated sexual abuse.
During Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors revealed authorities had “very recently” executed a search warrant relating to the case, resulting in the seizure of at least 100 electronic devices, including cell phones, hard drives, and iPads.
The location of the raid was not disclosed, but U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber ruled the trial, which had been due to start next month, will be moved to the autumn.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull also notified the judge that another update to the current indictment is pending, as they are preparing to “add yet another victim” to the sex abuse case against Kelly, reports the Chicago Tribune.
The news means the “I Believe I Can Fly” hitmaker’s criminal counts on racketeering, sexual abuse, and bribery in Brooklyn, New York will likely be the first to be heard at trial this year, as that case is scheduled to be heard in July.
He has denied all charges filed against him.
