Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs pleads not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has pled not guilty to the charges of racketeering and sex trafficking that were brought forward on September 17th. If he is found guilty of these charges, the musician could be imprisoned for life.
Combs was arrested in New York on federal charges on the evening of September 16th. The arrest took place at Park Hyatt on 57th Street at 8:30pm local time. It follows the raid of multiple properties owned by Combs in Los Angeles and Miami following the issuing of search warrants.
After receiving his plea, prosecutors are holding Combs in detention without bail pending the outcome of a trial. They have stated that the severity of the charges, paired with Combs’s wealth, makes him a flight risk.
They also state that Combs has previously pressured witnesses into lying, impeding the investigation as a result. There are concerns that he would continue trying to tamper with evidence if he were released.
“The defendant is dangerous and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community,” the prosecutors alleged. Combs’ lawyers dispute this claim and state that the musician should be permitted to leave on bail while he awaits a court date.
“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” said his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, “To his credit, Mr Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts.”
When Combs was initially arrested, the charges that were being brought forward against him were kept under wraps. It wasn’t until a court appearance on September 17th that the severity of the case was made clear. It was revealed that Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, transportation to engage in prostitution and fraud or coercion.
According to the indictment, Combs has an alleged history of being violent, abusive and coercive towards different women for many years. He is being accused of orchestrating what were known as “freak offs.” These were allegedly multi-day orgies in which women would be coerced into having sex with male sex workers, often on camera. They would be given drugs, including ketamine, and IV fluids afterwards to recover.
Combs has also been charged with kicking, hitting and dragging women by the hair, along with a plethora of other violent acts. He denies all accusations of wrongdoing.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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