Hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been denied bail after pleading not guilty in a major sex-trafficking case.
A federal judge in New York ruled to keep the 54-year-old musician in custody after prosecutors labelled him a ‘serious flight risk.’
Combs was arrested September 16 evening, accused of running a criminal enterprise since at least 2008.
Prosecutors claim that drugs and violence were used to force women to satisfy Combs' sexual desires. The 14-page indictment charges him with racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transporting women for prostitution.
In a briefing, US prosecutor Damian Williams revealed that during raids on Combs’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles six months ago, officials seized firearms, ammunition, and over 1,000 bottles of lubricant.
"This office is determined to investigate and prosecute anyone who engages in sex trafficking, no matter how powerful or wealthy or famous you may be. No one should doubt our commitment on that," he said.
Meanwhile, Combs’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, announced that an appeal against the judge’s bail denial has already been filed, with a hearing set for September 18.
"We believe in him wholeheartedly. He didn't do these things. This was a ten-year relationship. There's no coercion. There's no crime. There's basically just, you know, someone who brought a civil case and now is finding themselves as a witness in a criminal case. And we're going to fight this case with everything we have, as is he. And eventually he's going to be shown to be innocent. And so tomorrow we fight again, and we fight. We'll fight every day until we don't have to fight anymore,' he said.
If convicted, Combs could face a sentence of 15 years up to life in prison.
In the past two years, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has made headlines for various reasons, causing significant damage to the mystique surrounding one of the biggest names in American music and popular culture.
Once a towering figure in the entertainment world, his reputation has been notably affected by recent controversies.
Here is a timeline of events
Cassie Ventura has filed and now settled a lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, alleging years of rape, abuse, and manipulation.
Ventura, who dated Combs for over a decade, stated the terms are confidential but include some control.
Combs faces many other sexual assault allegations. In a lawsuit, one woman claims he coerced her into sex, while another alleges drugging, assault, and filming.
Another anonymous woman alleged Combs gang raped and sex trafficked her when she was 17.
Combs is also facing a lawsuit from music producer Rodney Jones, who alleges Combs groped him and tried to coerce him into a homosexual relationship during sessions for Combs’s 2023 album, ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’.
Model Crystal McKinney has filed a lawsuit against Combs, alleging he drugged her and forced her to perform oral sex in 2003.
Later, former FIT student April Lampros also sued Combs, claiming four instances of sexual assault from 1995 to around 2000, including an accusation that Combs filmed one incident and shared it with others.
The allegations add to the growing number of lawsuits against Combs, but the rapper continues to proclaim his innocence.
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