Sean “Diddy” Combs has been charged with sex trafficking and racketeering for running a massive criminal operation that raped and trafficked women using his different businesses since at least 2008.
In an indictment released on Tuesday, US prosecutors accused the music mogul of participating in a “pervasive pattern of abuse” that included assaulting and arranging for forced sexual encounters with women.
For decades, Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” according to the indictment. The sex trafficking allegations center on claims that he “manipulated women to participate in highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity with male commercial sex workers,” who were frequently flown in from across state lines and overseas.
READ MORE: Eminem Goes Scorched Earth On Diddy In A New Diss Remix
“To carry out this conduct, Sean Combs led and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that used the business empire he controlled to carry out criminal activity, including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” said Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, at a press conference announcing the charges.
Combs is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday morning, following a late-night arrest the night before in connection with a federal grand jury indictment. According to the Associated Press, Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, stated outside the courthouse that he will plead not guilty to counts of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution.
Prosecutors would fight Combs’ release on bail, Williams said.
Following Combs’ arrest, Agnifilo stated that the US Attorney’s Office is pursuing a “unjust prosecution.” He added that Combs, who moved to New York last week in expectation of being indicted, has cooperated with the inquiry. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community,” Agnifilo, a former federal and state prosecutor, “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.”
Combs has been in grave legal problems, with federal agents raiding his properties in March as part of a human trafficking probe. Dawn Richard, a former bandmate who accused him of sexual harassment and assault while she was a member of a musical trio with the hip-hop mogul, filed a lawsuit against Combs last week, marking the tenth complaint filed against him since his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura sued him for years of physical and sexual abuse. That action was quickly settled, but it prompted additional accusers, including Liza Gardner, Joi Dickerson-Neal, and Crystal McKinney, to file similar complaints. Combs has disputed the charges and generally stated that the accusers are searching for money.
In May, CNN released hotel surveillance footage of Combs attacking Ventura, undermining their claims. The rapper later apologized and admitted that he was “digusted when I did it,” but he continued to dispute other assault allegations.
READ MORE: 50 Cent Reveals Why Celebs Are’ Silent’ Regarding Diddy’s Litigation
The indictment describes a broad criminal enterprise that included Bad Boy Entertainment and the mogul’s several other firms, which allegedly supported and covered his crimes. Prosecutors claimed they were vehicles for Combs’ criminal activities, which included acts of assault, sex trafficking, forced labor, coercion to engage in prostitution, and drug distribution.
The operation allegedly used Combs’ notoriety to “intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims” into the mogul’s orbit, often under the guise of a love relationship, according to the indictment. Combs then compelled them to engage in protracted sex activities with male prostitutes he referred to as “Freak Offs,” according to authorities. Combs and his accomplices drove sex workers across states and abroad while organizing these shows, which were frequently recorded.
According to the indictment, Combs controlled his victims through physical abuse, promises of professional possibilities, threats of withholding financial support, control over their home, and drug supply. “Victims believed they could not refuse Combs’ demands without risking their financial or job security or without repercussions in the form of physical or emotional abuse,” according to the statement. “Combs also used the sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings that he made during Freak Offs as collateral to ensure the continued obedience and silence of the victims.”
Prosecutors said members of the criminal organization included high-ranking Combs company executives, personal assistants, security, and domestic staff who booked hotel rooms, provided supplies for forced sexual encounters, and coordinated travel for sex workers and victims. They occasionally carried and brandished firearms to scare victims and witnesses, who were sometimes forced to go into hiding to heal from their injuries.
When asked if Combs’ colleagues are being investigated, Williams responded that the investigation is “ongoing, both as to him and anyone else we believe committed the crimes with him.”
According to the indictment, law officials recovered drugs, more than 1,000 bottles of lubricant, and three AR-15 firearms with obliterated serial numbers from Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March.
Combs owns a global media, entertainment, and lifestyle company that includes record labels, a recording studio, an apparel line, a spirits business, a marketing agency, and a television network. Several of these companies have been sued for allegedly supporting his crimes. He resigned as Revolt’s chairman last year after claims of sexual assault surfaced. Prosecutors alleged that when the assault claims initially appeared, Combs attempted to coerce and bribe witnesses, telling them to lie to police officials.
The entrepreneur, who has rejected allegations of sex crimes, is anticipated to present a lengthy defense. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, represented Keith Raniere, the founder of NXIVM, in a sex trafficking and racketeering prosecution brought by the government. Agnifilo’s case, like that of Harvey Weinstein and Danny Masterson in other high-profile sex crime prosecutions, was based on the idea that all of the encounters were consensual. In 2019, a jury convicted Raniere on all charges.
Radiant TV, offering to elevate your entertainment game! Movies, TV series, exclusive interviews, music, and more—download now on various devices, including iPhones, Androids, smart TVs, Apple TV, Fire Stick, and more.
