Diddy faces more than two dozen lawsuits as he sits in jail

Hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.

His arrest in New York came amid a series of civil suits alleging sexual assault and physical violence, some going back to the 1990s.

More than two dozen people have filed lawsuits against the rapper, accusing him of using his influence in the entertainment industry to do everything from drugging, assaulting and raping people.

The latest batch of lawsuits include allegations from two men who were underage at the time of the alleged sexual assaults. Both described being hopeful that Mr Combs could help jumpstart their careers in the entertainment industry.

The Harlem-born rapper has denied all the allegations, both those laid out in lawsuits and in his federal indictment.

Mr Combs, 54, was arrested on Monday 16 September in a New York hotel on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force and transportation for purposes of prostitution.

Federal prosecutors have accused him of “creating a criminal enterprise” in which he “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct”.

They said Mr Combs had used drugs, violence and the power of his status to “lure female victims” into extended sex acts called “Freak Offs”.

They also revealed they had uncovered firearms, ammunition and more than 1,000 bottles of lubricant during raids on Mr Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March.

Prosecutors have reportedly been in touch with several witnesses who worked under Mr Combs and some of the accusers currently suing him, and have left open the possibility of more charges.

The singer-producer has pleaded not guilty to the three felony counts against him and his attorney told reporters he was a “fighter” who was “not afraid of the charges”.

Mr Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal jail notorious for its violence and poor inmate care.

 

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