Hip Hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has been charged with sex trafficking by force, transporting individuals for prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy, according to an indictment unsealed on Tuesday, September 17. The indictment accuses Combs of running an "enterprise" involved in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, and other crimes.
Combs was arrested on the night of September 16 at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan and spent the night in federal custody. Federal prosecutors allege that from 2008 to the present, Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him" to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and hide his conduct. These claims reflect allegations made in 11 civil complaints filed against him since 2023.
The indictment states that Combs, with the help of his associates, is accused of transporting commercial sex workers across state lines and internationally. He allegedly manipulated women into participating in orchestrated sexual activities with male sex workers by using drugs, controlling their careers, and employing threats and intimidation.
Prosecutors also claim that Combs kept videos of victims engaged in sexual acts with commercial sex workers, sometimes without their knowledge. The indictment details allegations of verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, with victims reportedly being controlled through violence, promises of career advancement, financial support, and other coercive measures.
The indictment also references a 2016 hotel surveillance video that purportedly shows Combs physically assaulting his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. When hotel security intervened, Combs allegedly attempted to bribe the staff member to remain silent.
Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, stated outside court that his client will plead not guilty and is determined to fight the charges. "His spirits are good. He’s confident," Agnifilo said. He described Combs as a "music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist" who has been cooperative with the investigation and voluntarily moved to New York last week in anticipation of the charges.
Agnifilo urged people to reserve judgment until all the facts are known, asserting that Combs is an innocent man looking forward to clearing his name in court.
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