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We’re not even a month into 2019 and R. Kelly has been dropped by Sony. It was long overdue, but very welcome.

There’s more good news: the chilling Surviving R. Kelly docuseries attracted more than just nationwide attention.

The FBI itself is looking into Kelly.

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TMZ reports that the FBI has been in contact with Timothy, the father of Jocelyn Savage.

An FBI special agent has spoken to Timothy at least 5 times over the course of the past year and a half.

The most recent contact, TMZ reports, was just weeks before Surviving R. Kelly began airing on Lifetime on January 3.

According to TMZ: “Timothy provided the FBI with all the known whereabouts of Kelly and Joycelyn from state to state.”

“Starting with where their relationship began,” TMZ reports. “Along with text messages or emails.”

That state-to-state business is relevant.

When you take a minor across state lines for purposes of sex, that falls under the jurisdiction of the FBI.

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The report continues, revealing the nature of what Timothy told the FBI.

Much of the information was similar to what he revealed on the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries.

That means allegations of predatory behavior and sexual abuse.

(Presumably with more specifics, like times and dates, which tend to be useful to investigators)

To be clear, TMZ notes that it’s unclear if these questions are part of a larger criminal investigation into R. Kelly.

(The FBI neither confirms nor denies investigations, which is a pretty good policy)

That said, the disgraced R&B singer is already under criminal investigation in Georgia.

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Jocelyn Savage’s family believes that R. Kelly is holding her against her will.

Jocelyn herself has strongly denied this.

That is not actually surprising.

We have all read and listened to the harrowing testimony who describe having escaped from Kelly’s alleged abusive sex cult.

The allegations include using tactics such as physical violence and starvation — and grooming — to control people.

Potentially, SWAT teams could raid a compound and ask a woman if she needs help, and she could very well say “no.”

No warrant can break through a psychological prison.

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This is a problem that the FBI has encountered before.

Unfortunately, this sometimes leaves the hands of law enforcement tied.

Other documentaries have spoken about the Church of Scientology and federal agencies considering raiding remote locations to free suspected captives.

Scientology survivors have warned that such people would not consider themselves prisoners and would refuse outside assistance.

Brainwashing is not an indictment of the victim, but upon the perpetrator.

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R. Kelly has repeatedly blasted the allegations against him, both by families and by survivors themselves.

He has even insinuated that this is all some sort of racist conspiracy against him, because he is a successful black man.

There have, unfortunately, been conspiracies to sabotage black men in the past. This is not one of them.

If anything, racism has allowed R. Kelly to operate unchecked for longer than it might have otherwise.

His accusers are all black women or the families of black women.

Imagne if a bunch of families held up photos of their beautiful young white daughters and described these allegations.

R. Kelly might have been put out of business years ago.

It is not racist to demand that R. Kelly face justice.

It is not homophobic to want to see Bryan Singer out of a job and behind bars for his alleged sexual predation upon teens.

The fact that both of these men have alleged otherwise is almost as chilling as the allegations against them.

Very real bigotries should never be used as a shield to protect alleged monsters.

We don’t know how Jocelyn Savage can be saved by any outside force.

In our legal system, she may have to make a run for it herself.

When she does, we should all listen to her story, not ask why she did not make her escape sooner.