R. Kelly files lawsuit against federal government over alleged privacy breach

CHICAGO - R&B singer R. Kelly is taking legal action against the federal government, alleging a privacy breach during his time at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.

The lawsuit accuses numerous prison officers of leaking his private information.

"He is a Grammy-award winning recording artist and a nationally recognized celebrity. As with all prisoners, but particularly because of Plaintiff's status, the United States of America through the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) had a duty to protect Plaintiff and his private and sensitive information to ensure that its employees did not exploit Plaintiff for financial gain or for any other reason … at least 60 BOP officers made unauthorized access to Plaintiff's sensitive, confidential, and private information … Some of those BOP officers either shared and/or sold that information to third parties including members of the media and witnesses in Plaintiff's criminal prosecution," according to the lawsuit.

R. Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was transferred from Chicago to the federal correctional institution in Butner, North Carolina, on April 19. In February, a federal judge in Chicago sentenced the 56-year-old Grammy Award-winning R&B singer to 20 years in prison for child pornography and enticement of minors for sex. He will serve all but one of those simultaneously with a separate 30-year sentence on racketeering and sex trafficking convictions in New York.

Kelly, who has vehemently denied the allegations, rose from poverty in Chicago to become one of the world’s biggest R&B stars. Known for his smash hit "I Believe I Can Fly" and for sex-infused songs such as "Bump n’ Grind," he sold millions of albums even after allegations about his abuse of girls began circulating publicly in the 1990s.