R Kelly appears in Chicago court

Singer-songwriter R Kelly appeared in a Chicago court on Wednesday (local time), where prosecutors turned over a tape that allegedly shows pornographic images involving an underage girl.

During the brief hearing, Kelly, who wore a dark suit, did not address the court or the media after the hearing, reported CNN.

"We'll see what it shows, we'll make our assessment on it," Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg told reporters after the hearing.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's case largely rests on the alleged rape tape that was provided to the prosecution by Michael Avenatti, who's representing two of the singer's accusers, reported Page Six.

The tape allegedly shows Kelly raping a 14-year-old girl.

Judge Lawrence Flood placed a protective order on the tapes and warned both the parties against leaking them.

"If there's any violation of this protective order, I'm going to impose sanctions, severe sanctions. I just want everybody on notice with that. Plus, there could be criminal implications to the violation of this protective order," he said.

Kelly's lawyer agreed to not share the tape and told Flood he planned to file motions pertaining to the charges' statutes of limitations.

The singer remains free on bonds totalling USD 1 million that was set in February. Flood expects a trial date to be set for early next year and scheduled the next pre-trial status hearing for August 15, this year.

Earlier this month, the 52-year-old singer pleaded not guilty to 11 new charges in his sexual assault and sexual abuse case, according to his attorney.

Much of the sexual misconduct Kelly is accused of happened in the 1990s but in 2017, Illinois passed a bill that eliminated the statutes of limitations for all felony criminal sexual assault and sexual abuse crimes against children.

Kelly was charged in February with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, involving four alleged victims, including three who prosecutors say were underage girls. The charges cover allegations from 1998 to 2010.

In May, a grand jury indicted him with 11 more charges pertaining to one of those four accusers. Those charges included not only aggravated criminal sexual abuse but also more serious charges -- aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony; and criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony.

A person convicted of Class X felonies can be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. Class 1 and 2 felonies generally carry lower maximum penalties.

Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges levelled against him.

The singer has faced accusations of abuse and inappropriate encounters with girls and young women for more than two decades.