ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Sean “Diddy” Combs, pictured here in 2023, was taken into custody on September 17, 2024. He is charged with sex trafficking and extortion.
INTERNATIONAL – American rapper and powerful hip hop producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and extortion, was remanded in custody by a Manhattan federal court judge on Tuesday, September 17. He is accused by federal prosecutors of having put his “empire” in the service of a violent sex trafficking system.
Arrested Monday evening in New York, the artist who has been the target of multiple complaints of sexual assault for several months pleaded not guilty a little earlier, which means that a trial should take place in this case.
Judge Robyn Tarnofsky then ordered him remanded in custody pending trial, stressing her concerns about a repeat of such abuse. “crimes that take place behind closed doors”Combs’ attorney said an appeal hearing on the detention will take place Wednesday afternoon.
An artist with multiple nicknames and roles in the music and business worlds, P. Diddy, 54, is described by his alleged victims as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to gain their submission. “He is innocent”his lawyer replied. According to him, his client wants to cooperate with the investigation.
A man ” violent “
“For decades”Sean Combs, aka “Puff Daddy”, “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation and cover up his actions”accuses the indictment unveiled Tuesday by the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office.
Federal prosecutor Damian Williams described a system based on ” violence “ to force women to have “long term sex with sex workers”scenes that he “recorded” and during which the victims took substances such as ecstasy, GHB (the date rape drug) or ketamine.
“When Combs didn’t get what he wanted, he was violent… kicking and dragging his victims, sometimes by the hair.”he said again.
According to the indictment, the rapper relied on his employees, “the resources and influence of the multi-faceted business empire he led and controlled to create a criminal enterprise whose members engaged in… trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labor, kidnapping, obstruction of justice”.
Nine complaints filed in a year
Under the nicknames Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or Diddy, he established himself as a figure in East Coast hip-hop, both on the microphone and in production.
He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, a prelude to his rise to the top. He notably produced the late Notorious B.I.G., a New York rap legend who was assassinated in 1997, and Mary J. Blige. His album “No Way Out” received the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 1997.
He has amassed immense wealth over the decades, thanks in part to his activities in the alcohol industry. However, despite his efforts to cultivate the image of a business tycoon, a series of complaints portray Combs as a violent man who used his celebrity to prey on women. In total, nine complaints have been filed against the rapper since November 2023, including by his ex-girlfriend Cassie.
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