Illinois Prosecutor Dropping State Charges Against R. Kelly Following Federal Convictions

A prosecutor in Illinois said this week that state counts against R. Kelly, including aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, would be dropped following the singer’s federal convictions.

In an extended statement shared Monday, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx pointed to what’s transpired at the federal level since her office initially filed charges against Kelly in 2019. In June of last year, for example, Kelly received a 30-year sentence in connection with his federal jury conviction on counts including sexual exploitation of children, Mann Act violations, and more.

“I understand how hard it was for these victims to come forward and tell their stories,” Foxx said Monday. “I applaud their courage and have the utmost respect for everyone who came forward. While this may not be the result they were expecting, due to the sentences that Mr. Kelly is facing, we do feel that justice has been served. My office will direct our resources to find justice for other victims of sexual abuse who do not have the power of a documentary to bring their abusers to light.”

In September, Kelly was also found guilty at the federal level on multiple counts of producing child pornography and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. While Kelly faces a sentence as high as 90 years in that federal Illinois case, he has not yet been sentenced.

Meanwhile, Kelly’s former manager Donnell Russell was sentenced just last month to a year behind bars over a shooting threat he made surrounding a premiere event for Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docuseries.