NEW YORK—Singer R. Kelly on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to bribing an official to get a fake identification document for singer Aaliyah, then 15, the day before he married her, the latest charge in a criminal case accusing him of running a years-long scheme to recruit children—young girls—for sex.
Kelly, known for such hits as “I Believe I Can Fly” and “Bump N’ Grind,” entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn federal court by video conference from Illinois, where he is currently jailed.