New York (AFP) – US music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty Monday to two new charges added to the criminal racketeering and sex trafficking case against him, which is expected to go to trial next month. The superseding indictment includes an additional charge of sex trafficking and one of transportation to engage in prostitution, relating to a woman identified by prosecutors only as “Victim-2.”
Combs, 55, appeared in federal court in New York to deny the accusations that could spell more prison time if the multi-millionaire entertainer is convicted. In the new charges, prosecutors say that over the course of two decades Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.” With employees and resources of his business empire, Combs created a criminal enterprise that engaged in crimes including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, prosecutors said.
The hip hop magnate is accused of sexually abusing people and coercing them into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence, with prosecutors also alleging he forced employees to work long hours while demanding their silence. He has denied all charges thus far, insisting that any sex acts were consensual.
The trial is expected to start in May with jury selection, but US media reported that one of his lawyers, Marc Agnifilo, said Monday the defense might request a two-week delay to examine new evidence. The judge gave the defense two days to make their request in writing.
Public allegations have been building against the Grammy winner since late 2023 when singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs, as well as a 2018 rape. Along with the federal criminal case, Combs faces a mountain of civil suits that allege harrowing abuse by the artist with assistance from a loyal network of employees and associates.
The rap superstar has been incarcerated since September, during which time he has started to look noticeably aged, with a crop of salt-and-pepper hair.
© 2024 AFP
