*We previously reported… R. Kelly’s lawyer says the singer is miserable while being held in solitary confinement, so an emergency motion was filed on Thursday arguing he should be transferred out while awaiting trial on child pornography charges.
Kelly faces various sex crime charges in multiple states and jurisdictions and is currently being held at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago.
Steve Greenberg, who is leading Kelly’s courtroom battle in Chicago on child pornography and sex abuse charges, claims his client “has a stage persona who is used to having people around him all the time. His life in solitary is now minus TV. No radio. No music. And no books,” the Sun-Times reports.
Kelly is getting no “meaningful interaction with other humans,” and his legal team believes he’s being unfairly targeted because of his alleged crimes and celebrity status, per Page Six.
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Kelly was arrested by federal authorities on child porn and sex abuse charges in July. The Bureau of Prisons determined he could not be held in general population for his own safety, according to the motion.
The hitmaker has requested a transfer out of solitary confinement to general population, but BOP has reportedly made clear that he’s not be eligible for a transfer “because of his alleged offense and notoriety,” according to the motion.
Lawyers say BOP is housing Kelly on “the most restrictive floor,” instead of moving him to any number of less restrictive floors away from gen pop.
“In essence, even though he has not violated a single BOP rule, Mr. Kelly is being unconstitutionally punished and segregated from the rest of the prison population,” they wrote in the motion.
R. Kelly is also being denied access to recreation and time in the sun/fresh air, the motion states.
