Kodak Black may have been among the 70 people to receive a commutation on his prison sentence for his federal weapons charge courtesy of former President Donald Trump, but his South Carolina sexual assault case is somewhat in limbo.
According to a report from TMZ on Thursday (Jan. 21), Kodak was indicted in Florence, S.C., where the incident took place in 2016, and prosecutors are looking to move forward once the Florida rapper agrees to a plea deal or the case goes to trial.
Ed Clements, the 12th Circuit Solicitor in Florence County, S.C., reportedly told the outlet that the 2016 case has been impacted by COVID-19. Jury trials have been suspended and court dates have not been scheduled. However, prosecutors still desire to "aggressively" go after Kodak.
Trump's recent commutation of the rhymer's 46-month prison sentence for falsifying documents in order to obtain a firearm has no bearings on cases that are in state court, such as the 23-year-old Kodak Black's South Carolina assault case.
As previously reported, Kodak Black, born Dieuson Octave but who goes by Bill K. Kapri after legally changing his name in 2018, has been accused of raping a woman on Feb. 7, 2016. The accusations Kodak is currently facing include pinning down and biting "an adult-age high school student" in a hotel room following a concert, according to the Associated Press. He reportedly bit the alleged victim's neck and right breast.
Kodak was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct. His trial was set for 2019, but has since been pushed back. There is no court date set at this time.
Back in 2016, South Carolina's Florence County Sheriff's spokesman Major Michael Nunn said in a statement, "According to investigators, on or about February 7, 2016, Octave is alleged to have engaged in the sexual battery of the victim at a hotel located at 2120 West Lucas Street, Florence, SC."
Beattie Ashmore, who is Kodak Black's legal counsel in South Carolina, told TMZ in a statement, "Aggressively prosecute? It’s been four years. That speaks volumes. Kodak was on bond and on tour for two years before his federal case even began. Ed’s a very fine and experienced prosecutor and I look forward to once again speaking with him about this case. It’s been awhile."
XXL has contacted Kodak Black's legal team for a comment.
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