R&B singer R. Kelly, awaiting sex abuse trials in New York and Chicago, has had a second emergency plea for his release denied.

He is currently housed in Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, where coronavirus has been reported in staff and inmates.

But on Tuesday a US District Judge said he must stay behind bars over fears he could flee bail or intimidate witnesses if released.

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Several high-profile US inmates, including disgraced comedian Bill Cosby, have cited coronavirus in appeals for early release in recent weeks.

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Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen and rapper Tekashi 69 are among those who have been allowed to finish their sentences at home.