Sean “Diddy” Combs has been remanded in custody without bail pending trial in a case in which he is accused of abusing women, including forcing them to participate in “freak off” sex sessions.
Manhattan District Judge Robyn Tarnofsky delivered her ruling after a nearly two-hour hearing in which prosecutors and the hip-hop star’s lawyers argued over whether he should be incarcerated.
Combs was arrested Monday in a sex trafficking case. He is accused of forcing women to engage in freak-offs with male prostitutes while he masturbated and recorded the sex sessions, which sometimes lasted for days.
The 54-year-old music producer appeared in court shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Wearing a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants, he appeared mostly expressionless, occasionally taking a sip from a Fiji water bottle.
Federal prosecutor Emily Johnson asked Tarnofsky to remand Combs in custody, arguing that he was an “extreme danger to the community,” in part because he was a suspected “serial offender” and had repeatedly attempted to obstruct justice by persuading witnesses to lie and protecting his reputation.
For example, Johnson says Combs attempted to bribe a hotel security guard to cover up an alleged assault on his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura on March 5, 2016. During that incident, Combs allegedly also attempted to destroy surveillance video that was released to the public earlier this year.
And just last week, Johnson said Combs sent 58 text messages to former Diddy-Dirty Money singer Kalenna Harper after she was named in a lawsuit filed against him by Dawn Richard.
Harper issued a statement on Friday saying she did not see the rapper insult anyone.
Combs “is able to keep witnesses in his pocket and at his disposal,” Johnson argued.
And on Monday evening, when police arrested Combs, they found bags of pink powder in his hotel room, which Johnson said was ecstasy.
Johnson said her office was still waiting for test results on the substance, but told the judge the results were similar to those from bags of pink powder previously identified as a party drug.
After Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo – who had represented, among others, the now convicted leader of the sex cult NXIVM, Keith Raniere, stated that his client had flown from his home in Miami to the Big Apple on September 5 and planned to “turn himself in”.
Agnifilo attempted to argue that the sexual acts described in the indictment involved the consenting partners of adults.
Combs pleaded not guilty to all three charges and faces life in prison if convicted.
This is a developing story, please check back later for further updates.
