Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrest live updates: Rapper pleads not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering

Combs relied on those close to him to help orchestrate and maintain a decades-long pattern of sexual abuse, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said.

“He used his business and employees of that business and other close associates to get his way,” Damian Williams said on Tuesday during a press conference.

That included “high-ranking supervisors, personal assistants, security staff and household staff.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty to all three federal criminal charges on Tuesday afternoon.

When victims refused to comply with Combs’ requests for them to participate in “Freak Outs” or attempted to flee, he became violent, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said on Tuesday.

Attorney Damian Williams described how Combs would kick, hit, throw items at and sometimes drag victims by their hair when he “didn’t get his way.”

Some of the injuries that victims sustained took days or weeks to heal.

Combs is charged with three federal crimes.

– One count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

– One count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison

– One count of transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Attorneys for music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs have proposed to a federal judge a $50 million bond package for his release after being charged with three federal crimes.

Combs proposed the multi-million dollar bond, secured by his equity in his Miami residence and his mother’s home in Miami.

Additionally, it would be co-signed by his three adult sons, Quincy Brown, Justin Combs and Christian Combs; his mother Janice Combs; sister Keisha Combs; and the mother of his eldest daughter, Sarah Chapman.

Combs’ attorney said his passport has been surrendered since April 1, 2024, as well as the passports of his mother and four daughters. They said he has agreed to a home detention with GPS monitoring.

The U.S. Attorney is asking the judge to detain Diddy until his trial begins, claiming he is dangerous and poses a flight risk.

According to the indictment, Combs did not act alone in allegedly coercing female victims into participating in “Freak Outs” and concealing physical, sexual and emotional abuse from the world. However, he is the only one charged.

But others could be charged and may currently be under investigation, U.S. attorney Damian Williams said on Tuesday.

“We are not done,” Williams said telling reporters the investigation remains ongoing.

This means Combs could also be charged with other crimes in a superseding indictment should prosecutors find more evidence of wrongdoing.

King Combs, the 26-year-old son of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs arrived at the Manhattan federal court where his father is being arraigned on three charges related to sex trafficking and violating RICO.

The government wants to keep Combs detained while he awaits his sex trafficking trial, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said on Tuesday.

“The defendant is dangerous and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community. If released, he remains a serious risk of flight, despite the conditions offered by his counsel. Most glaringly, the defendant also poses a significant risk of obstructing justice,” Williams wrote in a letter to the judge.

The U.S. attorney said Combs has “already tried” to obstruct the government’s case by repeatedly contacting victims and witnesses and feeding them false narratives of the events.