Diddy faces trial in NY on sex trafficking charges
Share this @internewscast.com

Prosecutors claim that Combs used a combination of influence and violence to keep women under control, offering career advancements or resorting to kidnappings and beatings if necessary.

NEW YORK — Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, known for his successful career marred by accusations of violence, is set to appear in a New York court on Monday. He faces charges of using his business empire’s power and resources to sexually assault women.

Jury selection is slated to kick off in the morning and could last several days. Opening statements from the attorneys and the beginning of witness testimonies are anticipated for next week.

The 17-page indictment against Combs reads like a charging document filed against a Mafia leader or the head of a drug gang, accusing him of engaging in sex trafficking and presiding over a racketeering conspiracy.

The indictment says that with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses, Combs engaged in a two-decade pattern of abusive behavior against women and others.

Women were manipulated into participating in drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers that Combs called “Freak Offs,” prosecutors say.

To keep women in line, prosecutors say Combs used a mix of influence and violence: He offered to boost their entertainment careers if they did what he asked — or cut them off if they didn’t.

And when he wasn’t getting what he wanted, the indictment says Combs and his associates resorted to violent acts including beatings, kidnapping and arson. Once, the indictment alleges, he even dangled someone from a balcony.

Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent.

Any group sex was consensual, they say. There was no effort to coerce people into things they didn’t want to do, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket, they said.

The trial is expected to take at least eight weeks.

Combs, 55, has acknowledged one episode of violence that is likely to be featured in the trial. In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Cassie filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, did.

Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo has said Combs was “not a perfect person” and that there had been drug use and toxic relationships, but said that all sexual activity between Combs, Cassie and other people was consensual.

The trial is the latest and most serious in a long string of legal problems for Combs.

In 1999 he was charged with bursting into the offices of an Interscope Records executive with his bodyguards and beating him with a champagne bottle and a chair. The executive, Steve Stoute, later asked prosecutors to go easy on Combs, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and took an anger management class.

Later that same year, Combs was stopped by police after he and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, fled a nightclub where three people were wounded by gunfire. Combs was acquitted of all charges related to the incident at a 2001 trial, but a rapper in his entourage, Jamal “Shyne” Barrow, was convicted in the shooting and served nearly nine years in prison.

Then in 2015, Combs was charged with assaulting someone with a weight-room kettlebell at the University of California, Los Angeles, where one of his sons played football. Combs said he was defending himself and prosecutors dropped the case.

Now, Combs faces his most serious case yet.

If convicted, he faces the possibility of decades in prison.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Shelters offer free adoptions at Jacksonville Pet Adoption Festival this weekend

Jacksonville Pet Adoption Festival: Free Adoptions This Weekend to Find Forever Homes for Pets

The Jacksonville Humane Society and Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) are…
Wyoming Capitol bomb investigators focus on men seen in security video

Investigators Zero In on Individuals Captured in Security Footage in Wyoming Capitol Bomb Probe

Investigators in Wyoming are on the hunt for two individuals suspected of…
Alaska pilot seeks SCOTUS relief in case in which three beer cases led to forfeiture of $95k plane

Alaska Pilot Appeals to Supreme Court Over $95K Plane Forfeiture Stemming from Three Beer Cases

An 82-year-old bush pilot from Alaska is taking his legal battle to…
Kim Iversen Highlights Assault Allegations in Giuffre’s Memoir

Kim Iversen Sheds Light on Explosive Assault Allegations in Virginia Giuffre’s Revealing Memoir

During a recent episode of The Kim Iversen Show, independent journalist Kim Iversen…
Bodycam video shows New York police officers rescue choking 10-month-old baby in Corona, Queens

Watch: Heroic NYPD Officers Save Choking Infant in Queens with Quick Response

In Corona, Queens, a 10-month-old infant’s life was saved by the quick…
Former New York state trooper sentenced to 6 months in prison after faking his own shooting: 'disgraceful'

Ex-New York Trooper Jailed for Six Months Over Fake Shooting Incident: Described as ‘Disgraceful

A former New York state trooper received a six-month jail sentence on…
ABC's 'World News Tonight' anchor David Muir honored by Temple University

ABC’s David Muir Receives Prestigious Honor from Temple University for Excellence in Journalism

PHILADELPHIA — Temple University recently hosted a celebration honoring outstanding achievements in…
The 22-day government shutdown is now the second-longest in US history

Historic Standoff: Unpacking the 22-Day Government Shutdown and Its Impact

The longest government shutdown on record spanned 35 days during the first…
Chicago teacher accused of mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination portrayed as victim by school principal

Chicago Educator Allegedly Mocks Charlie Kirk Assassination, School Principal Defends Her Actions

The principal of a Chicago elementary school appeared to frame a controversial…
Mother of baby abandoned at Penn Station in New York City arrested in Queens

Queens Authorities Arrest Mother of Baby Found Abandoned at Penn Station, NYC

NEW YORK — The mother of an infant girl discovered abandoned at…
Los Angeles teacher says ICE agents are 'not the only ones with guns' following shooting of federal agent

Los Angeles Teacher Sparks Controversy with Bold Statement on Guns After ICE Agent Shooting

A Los Angeles high school history teacher, who is a prominent voice…
Opening statements Wednesday in trial of ex-Illinois officer who killed Sonya Massey

Opening Statements to Begin Wednesday in Trial of Former Illinois Officer Accused of Killing Sonya Massey

In Springfield, Illinois, the courtroom is set to be the scene of…