Rapper P. Diddy, accused of sexual assault, has been remanded in custody

Sean Combs, his real name, is accused of having put his “empire” at the service of a violent sex trafficking system.

P. Diddy behind bars. The American rapper and powerful hip-hop producer, Sean Combs by his real name, was placed in pretrial detention on Tuesday, September 17, awaiting trial. Arrested on Monday, the artist has been the target of multiple complaints of sexual assault for several months.

He appeared in Manhattan court, where he pleaded “not guilty” charges of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and extortion. “He is innocent”his lawyer said. According to him, his client wants to cooperate with the investigation. He also assured that an appeal hearing on this detention would take place Wednesday afternoon.

Judge Robyn Tarnofsky stressed her concerns about the repetition of such “crimes that take place behind closed doors”. “For decades”Sean Combs “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation and cover up his actions”accuses the indictment unveiled Tuesday by the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office.

Federal prosecutor Damian Williams described a system based on “violence” to force women to have “long term sexual relations with sex workers”scenes that he “recorded” and during which the victims took substances such as ecstasy, GHB or ketamine.”When [Sean] Combs didn’t get what he wanted, he was violent (…) kicking and dragging his victims, sometimes by the hair”he said again.

According to the indictment, the rapper relied on his employees, “the resources and influence of the multi-faceted business empire he led and controlled to create a criminal enterprise whose members engaged in… trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labor, kidnapping, obstruction of justice”.

In total, nine complaints have been filed against the rapper since November 2023. In one of them, filed in November, his ex-girlfriend “Cassie” Ventura accuses him of having had a “violent behavior” And “deviant” for a decade. In a 2016 video, P. Diddy lashes out at her and violently beats her. The case was settled “amicably” according to a confidential agreement.