R. Kelly is trying to win a federal sex crimes case by citing public health laws in order to have herpes-related charges dismissed.
The singer filed new legal documents in the Eastern District of New York, obtained by TMZ, asking the court to dismiss charges of knowingly exposing sexual partners to herpes because … he says the legislature failed not included herpes in the law because it is “Not an acute bacterial venereal disease.”
You may recall that federal prosecutors charged Kelly with exposing 2 people to an STD in March 2020, and the charges were added to his already long list of federal charges for allegedly sexually exploiting underage girls and young women.
According to the new documents, however … Kelly’s legal team says herpes does not fall under the umbrella of STDs – like syphilis or gonorrhea – as defined by the Department of Health’s. New York State and the World Health Organization.
He points out that these organizations classify herpes as a virus and not as a bacterial venereal disease – and therefore, he wants the herpes-related counts rejected.
As we reported … Kelly is also getting ready for her criminal trial in Chicago, and dealing with recently added allegations that he groomed and molested a 17-year-old man he met at McDonald’s.
So there is a lot on his plate.
