Illinois State Attorney Kim Foxx announced Monday she will dismiss 10 criminal charges against R. Kelly because the disgraced singer is likely “never walking out of prison again.”
Foxx told reporters that “justice has been served” because Kelly, now 56, was convicted twice on federal charges and sentenced last year to 30 years in prison. She said the state will not “expend our limited resources and court time” on securing convictions against Kelly.
“We have a significant number of cases and survivors who are equally in need of the resources that have been expended on Mr. Kelly’s cases,” Foxx explained.
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Illinois charged Kelly in 2019 with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, each carrying a penalty of three to seven years behind bars. Three of the four female victims were between the ages of 13 and 16 at the time of the alleged incidents, which are said to have taken place between 1998 and 2010. (The age of consent in Illinois is 17.)
“I want to acknowledge that when we brought these charges… we brought them because we believed the allegations to be credible,” Foxx said, adding that she consulted with the accusers.
“For them, going through this process was very difficult, and they are pleased with the outcome of the sentence and judgment against Mr. Kelly.”
In 2008, Kelly was found not guilty in an Illinois court of 14 counts of child pornography.