Kelly also awaits sentencing for his New York conviction on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges
R. Kelly’s trial for child pornography and obstruction charges in an Illinois federal court has been rescheduled to begin August 1, 2022, according to the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. The trial was originally set to start on April 27, 2020 in Chicago, but has been delayed multiple times due both to the pandemic and to Kelly’s separate trial in a Brooklyn, New York federal court. That trial ended on September 27 with Kelly being found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. He faces potentially decades in prison when he is sentenced, which is scheduled for May 4, 2022.
Kelly was federally indicted in Illinois in July 2019. The 13-count indictment charges Kelly with producing and receiving child pornography and enticing minors to engage in criminal sexual activity. He’s also charged with conspiring to intimidate victims and conceal evidence—including in the investigation that led to his 2008 trial on state child pornography charges (and eventual acquittal). He has pleaded not guilty of all charges. Kelly is also awaiting trial on other state-level sexual misconduct charges in Minnesota and Illinois.
Read Pitchfork’s recap of the recent trial, “Where R. Kelly’s Sex Crimes Trial Stands Ahead of New York Verdict.”
