CHICAGO — R. Kelly was convicted on several child pornography counts Wednesday but still has pending trials in Minnesota and a state court in Chicago.
[ Jury convicts R. Kelly on 6 counts ]
The pending trial in Minnesota stems from an incident in 2001 where he allegedly solicited a minor for prostitution.
In 2019, Kelly was charged in Hennepin County with one count of engaging in prostitution with a minor and one count of soliciting a minor for sexual purposes. According to NBC News, the alleged crimes involved a 17-year-old girl in 2001.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that the girl was trying to get an autograph from Kelly and was later ushered to his room by one of Kelly’s staff, according to Minnesota Public Radio. Kelly offered the girl money to take her clothes off and dance for him.
The girl came forward with her story in January 2019. Kelly was charged in August that same year.
Kelly also faces three Cook County indictments in Illinois involving three underage girls.
According to the Chicago Tribune, prosecutors alleged in June 2019 that Kelly had sexual contact with three victims whose ages ranged from 14 to 16 years old at the time. The alleged incidents occurred between 1998 and 2010, according to The Associated Press.
Kelly pleaded not guilty to the sex-related charges during the hearing in Cook County court on June 6, 2019.
This week, Kelly, 55, was found guilty of six out of 13 charges, according to the New York Times. Kelly was found guilty of coercing three minors into criminal sexual activity and producing three child sexual abuse videos.
Kelly was acquitted of attempting to fix an earlier investigation into his abuse.
It’s unclear whether prosecutors will drop the Minnesota and Illinois cases following his second federal conviction, according to The New York Times.
Last year, a federal jury in New York found Kelly guilty of heading a racketeering and sex trafficking scheme that preyed on young women for decades. In June, a judge sentenced Kelly to serve 30 years in prison related to the charges.
In that sentence, Kelly won’t be eligible for release until he is 80 years old, according to the AP.