Prosecutors have turned over to R Kelly’s lawyers a tape they say shows the singer having sex with an underage girl two decades ago.
The judge in the case said he hopes that at least one of the four cases against Kelly will go to trial early next year.
Cook County Judge Lawrence Flood asked prosecutors during a hearing to decide which of four indictments they want to proceed with first.
A 2020 trial would stand in contrast to what happened in the same courthouse when Kelly’s 2008 child pornography trail did not begin until six years after he was charged. He was acquitted on all charges.
Kelly faces sex-related charges involving four women, three of whom were minors when the alleged abuse occurred.
He has pleaded not guilty.
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