Cook County State’s Attorney Drops R. Kelly Sex Abuse Charges in Light of Federal Convictions

“R. Kelly Sex Abuse Charges Dropped in Illinois Following Federal Convictions”

CHICAGO – Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has announced that the four pending sex abuse cases against R&B singer R. Kelly in Illinois will be dropped. This decision comes after Kelly’s federal convictions, including one in Chicago, and the long prison sentences that come with them.

In February 2019, Kelly was taken into police custody in Chicago on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and assault involving four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged crimes between 1998 and 2010. The charges were brought against the singer following the release of the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”

However, due to the pandemic, the Cook County cases faced delays and were eventually overshadowed by the two federal trials that resulted in Kelly’s convictions. One trial in New York dealt with racketeering and sex trafficking charges, while the other in Chicago was on sex abuse charges.

Foxx stated that her office will not continue to pursue the indictments against Kelly, as he is facing a significant jail time and justice and accountability have been served through his federal convictions. Kelly is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago and is expected to be sentenced in three and a half weeks for his Chicago federal conviction.

Legal analyst Gil Soffer commented on the decision, stating that it is not surprising for prosecutors to conclude that justice has been done given Kelly’s extensive sentences. Kelly’s attorney, Steven Greenberg, has also weighed in, stating that the charges against Kelly should never have been brought in the first place and were a reaction to public attention.