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Why did the Chicago prosecutor drop sex abuse charges against R. Kelly?

Charges are being dropped by a Chicago prosecutor.

Photo by Antonio Perez - Pool via Getty Images

At one time, R. Kelly was on top of the world with hits like “Bump n’ Grind,” “I Believe I Can Fly,” and “Ignition.” All that came to a grinding halt when he was sent to prison for 30 years last June on several counts of racketeering and sex trafficking, plus he faces more time for the production of child pornography after being found guilty that August, a conviction he will be sentenced for in February. In addition to that, sex abuse charges had been hanging over R. Kelly’s head, but that’s no longer the case since the Chicago prosecutor believes justice has been served, the Associated Press reported.

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For years, R. Kelly got away with his treatment of women from holding them against their will and raping them to arranging for marriage with an underage girl because he had gotten her pregnant. His sexual abuse allegations extended to men who accused the singer of having sex with them when they were children. His deplorable acts include forcing his sexual partners to consume his fecal matter and his urine. There is a long list of crimes that he has committed and he was able to skirt the law somehow until it all caught up to him. Prosecutors in New York and Illinois were able to put together tight cases that proved his heinous actions from witnesses he had abused to videos that had been recorded.

The time that he has already been sentenced to in New York means that he won’t be able to get out of prison until he’s 80 years old. On February 23, he’ll go before a Chicago federal court and face a second round of sentencing that will add more years to his prison time. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is the prosecutor for these charges Kelly was still facing, but she doesn’t feel the need to pursue the case since the disgraced R&B singer will most likely never get out of prison.

“Mr. Kelly is potentially looking at the possibility of never walking out of prison again for the crimes that he’s committed,” she said, referring to his other convictions. “While today’s cases are no longer being pursued, we believe justice has been served.”

In 2019, Foxx had asked for survivors to come forward, and she set up a hotline for the victims. Many of them did come forward, and that gave Foxx the ammunition she needed to proceed with her own case. However, another potential trial cost taxpayer money, and they drag the victims through their pain and torture all over again. With Kelly’s sentencing being sufficiently extended, Foxx felt confident that there was no need for any further action.

At one time, R. Kelly was a millionaire with a net worth of about $100 million, and now it’s at -$2 million. Whomever he owes that to will most likely never see it since the singer has taken up residence at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago awaiting trial until Foxx’s announcement.