Singer R. Kelly pleads not guilty to charges

CHICAGO -- Singer R. Kelly pleaded innocent on Wednesday to child pornography charges stemming from a videotape authorities say shows Kelly having sex with an underage girl. Kelly made no other statement at his arraignment. \n"I can't talk right now," he told an Associated Press reporter while on his way out of the courtroom.\nHe smiled and waved to fans who lined the corridor of the Cook County Courthouse, many of whom wore T-shirts reading "R. Kelly We Love You."\nOne of his attorneys, Sam Adam, told reporters the Grammy-winning singer is innocent.\n"I haven't seen the tape, but I know the FBI has been wrong 100 times in the last year," Adam said.\nKelly, 35, who has been dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct in civil lawsuits, was indicted by a Cook County grand jury June 5 on 21 counts of child pornography.\nIf convicted, Kelly, who lives in the Chicago suburb Olympia Fields, could be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $100,000.\nThe singer has denied he is the man on the tape, while defense attorney Edward Genson has said the woman on the tape was not younger than 18 at the time the video was made. \nKelly is the focus of at least four lawsuits, three of which accuse him of having sex with underage girls. He has acknowledged settling two of the lawsuits regarding underage sex, but his lawyers have said they will fight the third.\nThe singer is known for hits ranging from the Grammy-winning anthem "I Believe I Can Fly" to sexually charged songs such as "Bump 'n' Grind," "Feelin' on Yo Booty" and "Your Body's Callin."