The state of Illinois have dropped state sex crimes against singer R-Kelly, due to the extensive sentences based on federal charges that he’s already facing.
The Illinois charges – aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse counts involving four accusers – are being dropped, as he already faces three decades in prison after he was convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering last year.
According to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, “Mr Kelly is potentially looking at never walking out of prison again for the crimes he’s committed… We believe that justice has been served.” He also added that this decision is not an indication that they don’t see the charges against R-Kelly.
In federal court in Chicago, R-Kelly was convicted of multiple child pornography cases and acquitted on others in 2022, after a trial that included an anonymous testimony from a woman who claimed the singer sexually abused her and recorded the interactions when she was as young as 14.
While a sentence hasn’t been announced in the latter trial, R-Kelly faces a minimum of 10 to 90 years in prison for that conviction.