Sean “Diddy” Combs Faces Additional Sex Trafficking Charges Ahead of May Trial
Federal prosecutors have slapped three additional counts on hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combsilt, and his superseding was indicted only a week ahead of the mogul’s supreme court trial. The music producer, 55, and founder of Bad Boy Records now faces five federal charges — sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, which all fall under the Mann Act. This 1910 law prohibits transporting someone across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”
In court documents filed in Manhattan, prosecutors say Combs used force, fraud, or coercion to make a woman identified only as “Victim-2” perform commercial sex acts between 2021 and 2024.
The case has attracted considerable public interest in the wake of Combs’s arrest last month, which followed months after his ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, filed a lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of abuse and trafficking.
Prosecutors say four accusers will testify against Combs, with three seeking to remain anonymous during the trial. Combs has always denied the allegations, and his attorneys have claimed the relationships were consensual. The trial, which has garnered considerable media attention, is scheduled to start on May 5, and Combs is currently being detained without bail in a federal facility in Brooklyn.
Charges Expand as Trial Date Approaches
Federal prosecutors in New York have filed a third superseding indictment against Sean “Diddy” Combs, adding two additional counts in the case, which they filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court. The new charges — a separate count of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution — bring the number of charges the hip-hop mogul faces to five.
The new indictment centers on someone described only as “Victim-2,” alleging that between 2021 and 2024, Combs used force, fraud, and coercion to make the woman engage in commercial sex acts. He is also accused of transporting individuals, including other commercial sex workers and “Victim-2,” across state lines to engage in prostitution, prosecutors said.
“None of these allegations are new, and none come from new accusers,” Combs’ legal team said. “These are the same people, past long-term girlfriends, who were consensually dating. This was their private sex life, governed by consent, not coercion.”
Case Details Reveal Disturbing Allegations
The indictment includes claims that Combs hosted elaborate sex parties he dubbed “Freak Offs” that featured drugs and male sex workers. According to prosecutors, Combs “organized, directed, masturbated at, and often electronically recorded” these events, which “happened regularly, sometimes lasted several days, and frequently involved multiple commercial sex workers.”
At the heart of the case is a video from March 2016 showing Combs hitting and kicking his then-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in a hotel hallway in Los Angeles. Dozens of those exchanges are set to be into evidence, as prosecutors say the assault occurred in the context of a “Freak Off.” In contrast, lawyers for Combs say the footage merely offers “a glimpse into a complicated but decade-long consensual relationship.”
Prosecutors anticipate four accusers will testify against Combs. In a court filing on Friday, they asked that three women — known as Victim-2, Victim-3, and Victim-4, according to the government — be referred to by pseudonym at trial to safeguard their privacy. The accuser, known in the documents as “Victim-1,” widely thought to be Ventura, will be ready to testify publicly under her name.
Legal Timeline and Background
Combs’s legal troubles first started escalating on November 16, 2023, when Ventura filed a sex trafficking and sexual assault suit against him. (but they resolved the civil suit the following day for an undisclosed amount), dozens of other civil cases have been filed against Combs since then.
The investigation came to light after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided Combs’s properties in March 2024. He was arrested in September on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied all of the charges against him.
Combs attended a pretrial conference last month, where he was visibly grayer and seen in court. At the same time, his lawyers argued over jury selection and the evidence to be submitted for trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 25, and the trial starts on May 5.
FAQ
Q: How many charges does Sean “Diddy” Combs face now?
A: Combs now has five federal charges against him: two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and one count of racketeering.
Q: What date will Combs’ trial start?
A: The trial starts on May 5, 2025, in Manhattan federal court.
Q: Is Combs now in jail?
A: Combs remains in custody without bail at a Brooklyn federal jail.
Q: HOW MANY ACCUSERS ARE EXPECTED TO TESTIFY?
A: The prosecutors have said that four accusers, three seeking anonymity, are anticipated to testify against Combs.
Q: What is Combs’s defense?
A: Combs has denied all allegations. His lawyers say the relationships were consensual and that prosecutors have “manufactured a criminal case” related to his private sexual conduct.
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