NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs presided over a sordid empire of sexual crimes, coercing and abusing women for years while using blackmail and shocking acts of violence to keep his victims at bay, according to an accusation filed on Tuesday.
Judge Robyn Tarnofsky denied bail to Combs and ordered him to be sent to prison while awaiting trial.
In deciding to deny bail to Combs, Tarnofsky said he has "very serious concerns" about Combs' substance abuse and "what appear to be anger issues."
Tarnofsky said that he considered alternatives, but he does not believe they are sufficient because much of what is alleged happened behind closed doors.
Combs pleaded not guilty, standing up to speak after hearing the accusations while showing little reaction, with his hands uncuffed crossed in his lap.
In court documents, prosecutors had labeled the music mogul as "dangerous" and urged for him to be jailed without bail, citing weapons found in his home and what they said were attempts to intimidate witnesses. His lawyers, on the other hand, proposed in court documents that he be released on a $50 million bail for home confinement with electronic monitoring.
The accusation of organized crime and sex trafficking describes Combs inducing female victims and male sex workers into drug-fueled sexual acts, sometimes lasting for days, referred to as "Freak Offs".
It also indirectly refers to an attack on his ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, which was captured on video.
He is accused of hitting, beating, and dragging women, throwing objects and kicking them, and of making his personal assistants, security personnel, and domestic staff help him hide everything.
"The evidence in this case is incredibly powerful," prosecutors said in a document requesting Combs' detention. They said they had interviewed over 50 victims and witnesses and expected that number to increase. They also pointed out that they would use financial, travel, and billing records, data and electronic communications, and videos of the "Freak Offs" to prove their case.
Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said outside the court on Tuesday that he would fight to keep him free, and that Combs is innocent.
"His spirits are good. He is confident," said the lawyer, who stated that Combs came to New York voluntarily to "engage with the judicial system and initiate the case."
Combs was arrested on Monday night in Manhattan, approximately six months after federal authorities raided his luxurious homes in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex trafficking investigation. He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon, and his three children arrived at the courthouse in the morning to be present during the proceedings.
A conviction on all charges in the indictment would require 15 mandatory years of imprisonment with the possibility of a life sentence.
The formal accusation describes Combs, 54, and founder of Bad Boy Records, as the head of a criminal organization involved in or attempting to participate in activities including sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
Combs and his associates used their "power and prestige" to "intimidate, threaten, and attract" women into their orbit, "often under the pretext of a romantic relationship," the accusation says.
It is stated that he would then use force, threats, and coercion to make women engage with male sex workers in "Freak Offs", "elaborate and produced sexual encounters" that Combs "arranged and directed, in which he masturbated and often recorded, creating dozens of videos.
Sometimes he managed to take women on planes and ensured their participation by acquiring and providing drugs, controlling their careers, taking advantage of their financial support, and using intimidation and violence, according to the accusation.
The encounters could last for days, and Combs and the victims often received intravenous fluids "to recover from physical exertion and drug use," according to the accusation.
It is mentioned that their employees facilitated the "Freak Offs" by organizing trips, booking hotel rooms where they would take place, and stocking rooms with supplies including medications, baby oil, lubricants, bedding, and additional lighting, scheduling the delivery of intravenous fluids, and then cleaning the rooms afterwards.
During a raid on the Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles this year, police seized narcotics and over a thousand bottles of baby oil and lubricant, according to the accusation. The officers also confiscated firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers, two of which were in pieces, in the closet of their bedroom in Miami.
The accusation portrays Combs as a violent man who strangled and pushed people, beat and kicked victims, and sometimes dragged them by the hair, causing injuries that often took days or weeks to heal. His employees and associates sometimes witnessed his violence and prevented victims from leaving or located those who tried to escape, according to the accusation.
It is alleged that Combs sometimes kept videos of victims engaging in sexual acts and used the recordings as "leverage" to ensure the continued obedience and silence of the women. He also exerted control over the victims, promising them professional opportunities, providing and threatening to withhold financial support, dictating how they looked, monitoring their health records, and controlling where they lived, according to the accusation.