Lawsuit claims Bureau of Prisons staff leaked R. Kelly's personal information before Chicago trial

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago trial of R. Kelly has been over for months, but on Monday, a lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois alleges personal details about the R&B star were leaked by staff from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons beforehand.

"He had every right to be able to be confident, to think the BOP would protect his information and not exploit, but unfortunately, certain BOP officers did just that," said Kelly's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean.

The lawsuit filed against the federal government, the bureau of prisons and a blogger named LaTasha Kebe or "Tasha K," alleges Kelly's personal information and calls, including calls to his attorneys, were monitored and shared, impacting Kelly's ability to defend himself.

"He does not feel comfortable to this day talking to anyone, even his own lawyers, because of the impact of this event," Bonjean said.

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The lawsuit claims "at least 60 BOP officers made unauthorized access to plaintiff's sensitive, confidential, and private information maintained by the BOP." The BOP and U.S. attorney's office in Chicago declined to comment on pending litigation.

Two of Kelly's sisters, who live outside the Chicago area, spoke with ABC7 virtually on Monday.

"You're listening to personal phone calls. You're listening to recordings. That's not right. That's not right. That doesn't sit well with me at all," said Lisa Kelly.

"If they do it to him, they could do it to someone else. It's time for change in our judicial system. It's just time for change," said Cassandra Kelly.

Kelly is currently serving a 20-year sentence out-of-state for producing child pornography and enticing a minor in sexual activity.

He is appealing that conviction as well as a conviction in New York for sex trafficking and racketeering.