Note: The latest developments regarding Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's announcement can be found here.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is slated to discuss sexual abuse cases brought against singer and songwriter R. Kelly on Monday afternoon, according to the state's attorney's office.
While it's unclear what will be announced, Foxx is expected to "provide an update on the office's prosecution" regarding four pending cases against Kelly at 3:30 p.m.
In June 2022, Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison following a trial in New York where the jury found him guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
A second trial in Chicago ended on Sept. 14 with his conviction on charges of producing child pornography and enticing girls for sex. Weeks later, a federal judge signaled that she plans to order the disgraced R&B superstar to pay more than $300,000 to one his victims in a decades-long scheme to use his fame to sexually abuse young fans.
A restitution order by U.S. District Judge Ann Connelly that was still being finalized in September is meant to cover the cost of treatment for herpes and psychotherapy. The victim, referred to only by a pseudonym, has accused the jailed Kelly of giving her the sexually transmitted disease during one of their encounters.
Kelly could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars more to pay for herpes treatment and counseling for a second victim once the final tally is calculated. The judge rejected a third claim by another accuser.
Local
While federal prosecutors in Chicago scored multiple convictions against Kelly at the singer’s trial in September, they lost on the headline charge — that Kelly obstructed justice by rigging his 2008 state child pornography trial, at which jurors acquitted him.
After the verdict, U.S. Attorney John Lausch expressed disappointment in not winning convictions across the board. But he said Kelly was still looking at a prison sentence of 10 to 90 years. He said he was pleased Kelly was “finally being held accountable.” Sentencing is set for Feb. 23.
At least one legal expert said obstruction of justice charges aren’t generally hard to prove. “But in this case,” said Phil Turner, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago, “the facts just weren’t there.”
Jurors also acquitted Kelly of receiving child pornography and one count of producing child pornography. He was convicted of producing child pornography and enticing girls for sex. His attorney planned to appeal, but it's unclear if an appeal has been filed.
