People have been waiting decades to see R. Kelly face trial for his countless alleged sexual crimes, so what’s a few more months? The disgraced R&B singer’s federal court case in Chicago has been pushed back from April 27th to October 13th so authorities can properly examine newly obtained evidence.
The Associated Press reports that federal agents “very recently” executed a search warrant to seize more than 100 electronic devices Kelly had hidden away in a storage facility outside of Chicago. Prosecutors revealed word of the seizure at an arraignment hearing on Thursday, during which they also updated the 13-count indictment against Kelly to include another victim, identified only as “Minor 6.” What’s more, the prosecution expects further charges related to “yet another victim” may arise as authorities investigate the newly obtained cell phones, tablets, and hard drives.
Kelly’s lawyers entered another not guilty plea during Thursday’s arraignment, and later expressed a lack of concern about the feds’ potential new evidence. “We expect that they’re not going to find anything incriminating,” said Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg.
The Chicago indictment currently covers child pornography, the sexual exploitation of children, coercion or enticement of a female, and conspiracy to defraud the US government. There’s also a New York-based indictment on counts of racketeering and violating the Mann Act by transporting individuals across state lines for illicit sexual purposes. Additionally, New York prosecutors recently tacked on a bribery charge related to Kelly’s 1994 marriage to Aaliyah when she was just 15. That case is still set to go to trial beginning July 7th.
On top of that, there’s a state-level case in Minnesota stemming from Kelly allegedly paying an underaged girl to have sex with him in 2001. So yeah, things are going great for the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer.
In addition to whatever new evidence may be pulled from all the electronics the feds just seized, they also recently got a powerful new ally in Kelly’s ex-girlfriend Azriel Clary. After first supporting Kelly during a joint CBS appearance with his other girlfriend, Joycelyn Savage, Clary had a change of heart upon viewing Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly. Back in January, Clary returned to Kelly’s residence in Chicago’s Trump Tower (because of course) to try and “save” Savage, only to end up getting into a physical altercation with her one-time housemate. Savage was subsequently arrested on assault charges.
R. Kelly’s Chicago Trial Postponed After Feds Seize Over 100 Cell Phones, Hard Drives
Ben Kaye
