R. Kelly – Federal Judge Denies His Attempt To Dismiss Claims He Gave 19-Year-Old Herpes

R. Kelly

R. Kelly – Federal Judge Denies His Attempt To Dismiss Claims He Gave 19-Year-Old Herpes

R &B singer R. Kelly, is currently being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago while awaiting trial on numerous charges of sex abuse against young girls.  Although the singer’s lawyer has made 3 requests to get an early, temporary release from jail amid concerns of contracting the coronavirus due to his alleged failing health, the judge in charge of his case is standing firm on her decision to keep him behind bars.

Meanwhile, R. Kelly is trying to get a judge to dismiss claims that he gave a fan herpes. His legal team argued that the allegations are illegal because the sexual incident was between two consenting adults. But that attempt was denied by Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Ann Donnelly Friday (May 22). She said in her ruling,

“The charges against him are not, as he claims, premised on his ‘private sexual decisions’ or ‘private sexual conduct. Rather, the allegation is that the defendant knew that he had herpes and engaged in sexual activity without telling the victim that he was infected.”

The woman claims, R. Kelly allegedly “showed up unannounced” at her hotel room, the two had sex, making that the night herpes was allegedly transmitted to her from R. Kelly,

“The defendant did not use a condom. Prior to the intercourse, the defendant learned from his health care provider that he had contracted herpes, an infectious venereal disease, and that he should inform his sexual partners of this diagnosis and use a condom to limit exposing his sexual partners to herpes,” 

Court docs show that the Judge continued to explain her ruling by saying,

“The New York Public Health Law, which makes it a misdemeanor for ‘[a]ny person who, knowing himself or herself to be infected with an infectious venereal disease, has sexual intercourse with another,’ and Section 120.20 of the New York Penal Law, reckless endangerment in the second degree, which is ‘recklessly engag[ing] in conduct which creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another person,’ a class A misdemeanor.”

R. Kelly is also being charged in a Brooklyn Federal Court for,

“Racketeering for allegedly running an enterprise where women and girls were selected from the audience at his shows and then recruited as sexual partners. He also is charged with having sexual activity with three girls under the age of 18 and making child pornography.”

The judge rejected Kelly’s attempt to have the racketeering charges dismissed, and his trial in Brooklyn, which has been repeatedly delayed due to the coronavirus, is still set for Sept. 29.