R&b superstar R. Kelly, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison following his conviction on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges, won’t face state-level charges in Illinois. All state-level charges filed in Cook County, Illinois have been dropped in order to preserve “limited resources” in light of the disgraced star’s 30-year sentence in New York and pending sentencing in Illinois.
Why R. Kelly Won’t Face State-Level Charges?
The state of Illinois decided to drop its slew of charges against convicted sex offender R. Kelly. The news was confirmed by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx at a news conference Monday (Jan. 30) in Chicago.
Kim Foxx revealed that the disgraced R&B star, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, would not face state-level charges in Illinois considering the extensive sentences amid his convictions. She noted, “Due to the extensive sentences that these convictions hold, our office has decided not to continue to expend our limited resources and court time with the indictments that we previously charged [against].”
R. Kelly was charged with 30 years in prison last year after he was convicted in a federal court in New York. He also faces additional 10 to 90 years after receiving a sentence in Chicago for convictions in federal court in Illinois. In these two federal trials, Kelly was found guilty of sex trafficking, production of child pornography, racketeering and much more.
More About Charges In Illinois
During her press conference, Kim Foxx, who narrated her own story as a victim of emotional abuse, grew visibly emotional as she admitted that the decision may be disappointing for the four victims in the state.
However, she added, “I want to acknowledge that when we brought these charges forward, we brought them because we believed the allegations to be credible. And we believed that they deserved to have the opportunity to have the allegations heard.”
Kelly was indicted in Cook County on “10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse linked to allegations made by four women”. It must be noted that three of the women were underage at the time he committed these crimes. “These women, all of them Black, came forward believing that they would be heard,” Foxx said.
She added, “I want to acknowledge that when we brought these charges … we brought them because we believed the allegations to be credible and we believed that they deserved the opportunity to have the allegations heard.”
Foxx also revealed that her office asked these victims to come forward in 2019 and narrate their stories. She added that these women should be “commended for their bravery and their relentless pursuit of justice, no matter how long it took.” The evidence that stemmed from these cases was used to convict Kelly in federal court.
During his New York trial, the 55-year-old multiple-Grammy Awards winner was sentenced to 30 years in prison for using his fame to sexually abuse young fans, including some who were just children, in a systematic scheme that went on for decades.
Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Kelly, 55, to more than 25 years behind bars, while his defense attorneys asked for 10 or fewer, saying prosecutors’ request was “tantamount to a life sentence.”
District Court Judge Ann Donnelly stated while delivering the judgement: “You left in your wake a trail of broken lives. She also considered Kelly’s own traumatic childhood, during which his attorneys said he was repeatedly sexually abused by a family member and a landlord. “It may explain, at least in part, what led to your behaviour. It most surely is not an excuse, the judge said.
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