Sean "Diddy" Combs was arrested on Monday (September 16), roughly six months after federal authorities announced they had launched a sex trafficking investigation and raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami, per the Associated Press.
According to TMZ, a grand jury indicted Diddy on three counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
"From 2008 to present, members of the Combs enterprise allegedly engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion, and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice," the indictment states, per TMZ.
According to the indictment, Diddy's enterprise allegedly sought to preserve his power in media and entertainment and fulfill his personal desires of sexual gratification through the exploitation of women and the use of commercial sex workers. The indictment cites Diddy's alleged freak-off parties, describing them as "elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded."
The indictment also accuses Diddy of engaging in violent acts against women, including striking, punching, dragging, kicking, and throwing objects at them. Other allegations included in the indictment include the intent to distribute narcotics such as "cocaine, oxycodone, Xanax, GHB - the 'date rape' drug -- MDMA and ketamine," TMZ reports.
During the raids of Diddy's homes, drugs, firearms, and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant were seized by federal authorities, according to the indictment.
Diddy is expected to appear in court on Tuesday (September 17) where the charges will be read. His attorney, Marc Agnifilio, said Tuesday that Combs would plead not guilty, and he would "fight like hell" to try to get the music mogul released from custody.
The attorney noted that Diddy was aware the indictment was coming and relocated to New York two weeks ago in preparation. Diddy was arrested Monday at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan, where he had been staying.
The arrest comes amid a string of physical and sexual abuse lawsuits against the Bad Boys Records CEO. In November, Diddy's former girlfriend and R&B singer Cassie filed a lawsuit alleging he had beaten and raped her for years. The suit was quickly settled but hotel security footage later surfaced showing Diddy punching and kicking Cassie. Diddy released an apology after the video was released.
The rapper has denied many other allegations lodged against him including that he raped a girl when she was 17, forced a music producer to have sex with prostitutes, and subjected a college student to "terrifying sexual encounters."
Amid his arrest, Diddy's lawyer said in a statement: "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. He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal."
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