R&B singer R. Kelly allowed to stay free on bond

A judge on Friday allowed R&B singer R. Kelly to remain free on bond pending his trial on child pornography charges in spite of his missed court appearance this week.

BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- A judge on Friday allowed R&B singer R. Kelly to remain free on bond pending his trial on child pornography charges in spite of his missed court appearance this week, media reported Saturday.

Judge Vincent Gaughan of the Cook County District Court ruled that the 40-year-old Grammy winner could remain free on 750,000-U.S.-dollar bond and thereby he can continue on his 45-city road show.

Prosecutors in Chicago had sought to have Kelly arrested after he failed to show for a hearing in his criminal court case Wednesday.

The singer's absence was an accident because his tour bus was delayed by snow in California and was later stopped for speeding in Utah, according to his lawyers.

In court Friday, Gaughan scolded Kelly for his speeding buses, saying it could have had disastrous consequences if one of the rigs hit another vehicle, particularly a schoolbus. As such, the judge said that no vehicle the singer rides in is allowed to go over the speed limit.

"I'd like to say sorry for this whole incident, and next time, I would get a plane," the aviation-phobic singer told the court.

The judge also ordered Kelly to cancel the last show on his tour - Jan. 13 in Hampton, Virginia -- so that he will have no trouble making it to court for his next pretrial hearing on Jan. 14.

Kelly was charged with child pornography in 2002 for allegedly making a video of himself having sex with a girl prosecutors say could have been as young as 13 or 14. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Kelly long ago pleaded not guilty to the charges.

(Agencies)