Federal prosecutors on Tuesday (Sept. 17) unsealed a criminal indictment of Sean “Diddy” Combs over sweeping allegations of sexual abuse, accusing the once-powerful rapper of running a racketeering conspiracy that included sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery.
Less than a day after the rapper was arrested Monday in New York City, Manhattan federal prosecutors unveiled the substance of their case against Combs – accusing him of operating a criminal enterprise centered on his “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women,” according to the documents obtained by Billboard.
“For decades, Sean Combs … abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” the indictment reads. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.”
Combs, 54, is expected to be arraigned later on Tuesday at a Manhattan federal courthouse.
The charges against Combs come after a flood of civil lawsuits in which at least eight victims have sued him over allegations of sexual abuse, starting with a high-profile case filed last year by his longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura. That case quickly settled, but it was later corroborated by a widely shared video of Combs assaulting her at a hotel.
Criminal charges against Combs were not unexpected. Federal agents carried out raids in March on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami, and multiple news outlets had reported that he was facing an ongoing investigation that included potential allegations of sex trafficking.
In a statement on Monday, Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said: “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community.”
In Tuesday’s unsealed indictment, prosecutors allege that Combs violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – a law known as RICO that’s often used to target mobsters and drug cartels. Over 14 pages of details, the government claims Combs operated a similar criminal racket, but one centered “fulfilling the personal desires of Combs, particularly those related to sexual gratification.”
“Combs … used the Combs business, including certain employees, to carry out, facilitate, and cover up his abuse and commercial sex,” prosecutors write.
Many of the allegations center on so-called “freak offs,” which prosecutors describe as “elaborate and produced sex performances” between victims and male sex workers during which Combs would masturbate. They allege Combs and his associates “wielded the power and prestige” of his fame to “intimidate, threaten and lure female victims” into his orbit, then used “force, threats of force, and coercion” to get them to participate.
During the freak offs, prosecutors claim Combs and others kept victims “obedient and compliant” by providing them with drugs, then subjected them to “physical, emotional and verbal abuse,” including hitting and kicking them, threatening career repercussions, and blackmailing them with footage.
“Victims believed they could not refuse Combs demands without risking their financial or job security,” prosecutors write. “Combs also used the sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings that he made during Freak offs as collateral to ensure the continued obedience and silence of victims.”
In addition to the RICO allegations, the indictment also accuses Combs of federal sex-trafficking laws and a federal statute barring the transportation of sex workers.
