Sean “Diddy” Combs is set to face trial for sex trafficking on May 5, as determined by the presiding judge during a court proceeding on Thursday. This marks Combs’s first appearance before Judge Arun Subramanian, who took over the case after a previous judge recused himself due to prior connections with attorneys involved.
During the hearing, prosecutors disclosed that authorities had confiscated 96 electronic devices from Combs’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles, as well as from a private airport in South Florida. An additional four devices were seized at the time of Combs’s arrest on September 16. They also indicated that Combs could be facing further charges, a possibility mentioned in earlier court sessions.
The 54-year-old founder of Bad Boy Records has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking following his indictment in September, which pertains to allegations dating back to 2008. The indictment accuses Combs of “abusing, threatening, and coercing women and others in his circle to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his actions.”
Federal prosecutors allege that Combs engaged in verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and even manipulated women into participating in elaborate sexual performances involving male sex workers, referred to as “freak-off” parties. These parties were characterized as highly orchestrated sexual activities that Combs arranged, directed, and often recorded.
Prosecutors claim that Combs lured women into his orbit, often under the pretense of romantic relationships, before compelling them to participate in these “freak-offs.” The parties reportedly could last several days, and afterward, both Combs and the participants would frequently receive IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use involved.
Since his arrest, Combs’s legal team has repeatedly sought his release on bail, but their efforts have been unsuccessful. Two judges have ruled that he poses a danger to the community, denying his $50 million bail request due to concerns he might interfere with witnesses and ongoing investigations.
Combs’s lawyers have appealed his pre-trial detention, asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn previous rulings, asserting that their proposed bail package would effectively prevent him from posing a danger or contacting potential witnesses. They argue that the judge had accepted the government’s exaggerated claims, leading to Combs’s detention.
Additionally, Combs’s legal representatives filed documents claiming that the Department of Homeland Security leaked a video of him allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in a hotel hallway approximately eight years ago. They contend that the release of this footage, aired by CNN in May, has resulted in damaging pre-trial publicity that undermines Combs’s right to a fair trial. Prosecutors have maintained that they did not possess a copy of the video prior to its public airing
