MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota prosecutors have dropped intercourse abuse costs in opposition to disgraced R&B celebrity R. Kelly that alleged he invited a 17-year-old lady to his lodge room in 2001 and paid her $200 to bounce bare with him.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office mentioned in an announcement Tuesday that it believes her and that Kelly would possible be convicted if tried, however prosecuting him on costs that had been dormant since being filed in 2019 wouldn’t make a distinction now that Kelly’s federal convictions may maintain him in jail for the remainder of his life.

“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 assertion mentioned.

The lady Kelly allegedly abused in Minnesota needed to testify at a trial anyway, her lawyer mentioned.

Attorney Gloria Allred issued an announcement on behalf of the lady, recognized solely as Jane Doe. It mentioned what Kelly did to her has been weighing closely on her for greater than 20 years and would proceed to harm her for the remainder 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 assertion mentioned. “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.”

Federal juries in Chicago and New York convicted Kelly, now 56, of crimes together with little one pornography, enticement, racketeering and intercourse trafficking associated to allegations that he victimized girls and ladies. Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, he was sentenced to 30 years within the New York case final 12 months and a principally concurrent 20 years in February within the Chicago case.

The lady in Minnesota sued Kelly in 2021, however that case stays dormant, too, as a result of Kelly is in jail and is unable to defend himself, twine data present. He was transferred to a federal jail in North Carolina final month.

The Grammy-winning Kelly rose from poverty in Chicago to grow to be one of many world’s largest R&B stars. Known for his smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly” and for sex-infused songs similar to “Bump n’ Grind,” he bought hundreds of thousands of albums even after allegations about his abuse of women started circulating publicly within the Nineties.

When he introduced the Minnesota costs in 2019, then-County Attorney Mike Freeman mentioned Kelly met the younger lady earlier than a live performance in Minneapolis when she tried to get his autograph. Freeman mentioned the performer gave her his signature and a telephone quantity, and when she referred to as it, she was invited to Kelly’s lodge room. She was supplied $200 to take off her garments and dance, and Kelly took his garments off as properly and so they danced collectively, Freeman mentioned.

The felony grievance mentioned she informed investigators that Kelly lay on his mattress and he or she climbed on prime of him “body to body.” He allegedly touched her throughout her physique and fondled himself.

Cook County prosecutors in Chicago dropped state intercourse abuse costs there in January, citing his prolonged federal jail sentences.

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