US rapper charged with sex trafficking and racketeering

Sean "Diddy" Combs, the rapper and music mogul who has faced allegations of sexual abuse, was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, according to a federal indictment unsealed yesterday.

- ARIANA BAIO

Mr Combs, who was arrested on Monday evening in connection to the charges, is accused of running a criminal enterprise that included his associates, employees and the influence of his business empire to coerce, control and abuse female victims.

That includes “sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice”, according to the indictment handed up by a New York grand jury.

For nearly a year, Mr Combs, 54, has faced a series of civil lawsuits that accuse him of sexual abuse, rape and misconduct. Now federal prosecutors have brought criminal charges against him. Mr Combs was in a Manhattan federal courtroom yesterday for his first hearing on the charges.

Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Mr Combs, called his client “an innocent man with nothing to hide”. He said the musician has been cooperating with federal authorities and voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of the arrest.

“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office,” Mr Agnifilo said in a statement.