Chicago’s attorney cites lengthy federal sentences ensuring the singer’s imprisonment as reason for dismissal of local charges.

Chicago prosecutors have announced they will drop state-level sex-abuse charges against R&B artist R. Kelly, citing his extensive federal convictions that will keep him imprisoned for decades. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx stated on Monday that she plans to request the dismissal of the charges at a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

The charges, filed in 2019, alleged that Kelly sexually abused four individuals, including three minors. Foxx acknowledged the frustration this decision might cause victims but explained, “With Mr. Kelly already facing the likelihood of spending the rest of his life behind bars, we believe justice has been served.”

Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted by federal juries in both Chicago and New York on charges including child pornography, sex trafficking, racketeering, and enticement. He is currently serving a 30-year sentence for the New York case and awaits sentencing in Chicago federal court on February 23. Based solely on the New York sentence, Kelly, now 56, will not be eligible for release until his 80s.

A separate sexual misconduct case in Minnesota, involving solicitation charges, remains pending but has been delayed due to the federal trials. Minnesota prosecutors have yet to confirm if they will proceed with their case.

Federal prosecutors have portrayed Kelly as a manipulative figure who leveraged his fame and wealth to lure fans—many of them minors—into abusive relationships. During trials, jurors heard testimony about his systematic use of aides and managers to target and control victims.

Kelly’s notoriety surged in the 1990s with hits like “I Believe I Can Fly” and “Bump n’ Grind,” even as allegations of abuse emerged. While he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008, his legal troubles reignited after the #MeToo movement and the release of Surviving R. Kelly, a Lifetime docuseries that highlighted his predatory behaviour.

Foxx’s 2019 call for victims to come forward led to the Cook County indictment, which preceded the federal cases. However, given the extensive federal sentences, Foxx stated that additional state-level convictions would not alter Kelly’s overall punishment.