July 19, 2002 17:02

R KELLY SUED BY PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

The star allegedly owes Charles Freeman $75,000 for finding a missing videotape...

R Kelly's legal woes are beginning to stack up with news that a private investigator is suing the star for $75,000 owed for finding a missing videotape.

Charles Freeman alleges in his suit, filed at Jackson County Circuit Court last week, that he was hired by R Kelly via private detective Jack Palladino late last August. Freeman claims it was agreed he would be paid $100,000 plus up to $40,000 in expenses to recover the stolen videotape, described as a performance tape.

According to MTV, Palladino's office, which has been working with R Kelly on various sex tape and bootleg issues, would neither confirm nor deny Freeman's employment.

According to a contract between the two parties, Freeman was given two days to recover and return the tape. Freeman was then to pass a 'lie-detector' test to prove he knew of no other copies "whether in whole or in part in any form". Freeman was also to keep all information about the tape confidential. He claims to have only been paid $65,000 for keeping his side of the bargain.
Freeman's lawyer Gregory Vleisides, says he has not seen the tape and does not know why it is so valuable.

R Kelly's team have vowed to contest the claim. "We're confident that when the facts come out the suit will be shown to have no merit," a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, R Kelly is due at Chicago's Cook County Criminal Courthouse, on August 7 to face 21 charges of child pornography.
The 21 charges stem from a videotape that is said to show the embattled singer having sex with a 14-year-old girl. The 26-minute tape was sent anonymously to the Chicago Sun-Times in February. The paper then turned the video over to the police.

If convicted, R Kelly faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $100,000.