Prosecutors Drop Sex Abuse Charges Against R&B Star R. Kelly

Prosecutors dropped sex abuse charges against R&B star R. Kelly, citing his federal convictions and little impact of further prosecution.

Minnesota prosecutors are drooping sex abuse charges against R&B star R. Kelly, citing his federal convictions and negligible impact of further prosecution.

R. Kelly In Court Again for Sexual Abuse Charges

Minnesota prosecutors have chosen to drop sex abuse charges against R&B artist R. Kelly, which accused him of inviting a 17-year-old girl to his hotel room in 2001 and paying her $200 to engage in a naked dance with him.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office explained that while they believed the survivor and anticipated a likely conviction, pursuing charges that had remained dormant since 2019 would have no impact, as Kelly’s federal convictions could already result in a lifetime imprisonment.

In a statement, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office acknowledged the significant consequences of proceeding with a trial in this case, emphasizing the potential harm it would cause to the survivor victim, the community, and the county’s legal system.

“The overwhelming impact of proceeding to trial in this case on the survivor victim, the community, and the Hennepin County legal system would be enormous while a conviction would not add any additional time in prison,” the statement read.

Woman Says She Carries an Emotional Burden

Although the woman allegedly abused by Kelly in Minnesota expressed her willingness to testify at a trial, her lawyer, Gloria Allred, released a statement on her behalf. The statement revealed the heavy emotional burden she had carried for over two decades, stating that the repercussions of Kelly’s actions would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life.

“As a surviving victim of R. Kelly, I feel sad about the fact that Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota decided not to hold him accountable for what he did to me when I was a minor,” the statement expressed. “If there had been a criminal trial, I would have been willing to testify against R. Kelly. Even though it wouldn’t have brought any extra prison time for him, it would have given me closure.”

Having already faced federal convictions in Chicago and New York, including charges related to child pornography, enticement, racketeering, and sex trafficking, Kelly, now 56, received a 30-year sentence in the New York case last year and a primarily concurrent 20-year sentence in the Chicago case in February.

The civil lawsuit filed by the woman in Minnesota against Kelly in 2021 remains inactive due to his imprisonment, making him unable to defend himself.

Kelly was recently transferred to a federal prison in North Carolina.

R. Kelly and the Details

Despite the serious legal implications, R. Kelly achieved Grammy-winning success throughout his career, rising from poverty in Chicago to become one of the world’s most renowned R&B stars.

While his hit songs, including “I Believe I Can Fly” and “Bump n’ Grind,” gained immense popularity, allegations of his abuse towards women and girls emerged publicly in the 1990s.

During the announcement of the Minnesota charges in 2019, then-County Attorney Mike Freeman disclosed that Kelly had met the young woman before a concert in Minneapolis when she sought his autograph.

Freeman revealed that Kelly provided his signature and phone number, leading to an invitation to his hotel room. Allegedly, the young woman was offered $200 to undress and dance, while Kelly also removed his clothes, resulting in a shared dance between them.

In the criminal complaint, she detailed how Kelly lay on his bed while she straddled him “body to body”, and that he touched her all over her body and engaged in self-gratification.

In January, Cook County prosecutors in Chicago dropped state sex abuse charges against Kelly, citing his extensive federal prison sentences as the reason.

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