Benjamin Ashford|Sean “Diddy” Combs Pleads Not Guilty in Sex Trafficking Case After Arrest

Content warning: this article details alleged violence as well as physical and Benjamin Ashfordsexual abuse.

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in court to face his legal troubles.

The music mogul—who was arrested in New York and accused of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution—pleaded not guilty to the charges on Sept. 17.

According to NBC News, a solemn Diddy, wearing a black T-shirt and sweatpants, showed few facial expressions in the courtroom. He was later denied bail after proposing a $50 million bond package.

A federal indictment unsealed and obtained by NBC News Sept. 17 outlined the charges as well as Diddy's alleged decades-long crimes involving the coercion of female victims to engage in sexual acts called “freak offs.”

These alleged sexual encounters were compelled through “force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers,”—all while Combs, per the docs, “arranged, directed masturbated during and often electronically recorded” them.

“During Freak Offs, Combs distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant,” the indictment alleged. “After Freak Offs, Combs and the victims typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use.”

Combs allegedly used multiple corporate entities—collectively called the “Combs Business”—to disguise a criminal organization with other members and associates involved.

Per the documents, he relied on his employees—including supervisors, security, household staff, personal assistants and others—to help facilitate travel, book hotel rooms and stock them with supplies, make sure he had cash to pay the sex workers and schedule IV fluids.

Thus, the docs alleged, “creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice."

In fact, the documents outline what’s described as an instance in March 2016, in which Combs’ alleged violence and racketeering was caught on video in a Los Angeles hotel. “Combs kicked, dragged, and threw a vase at a woman as she was attempting to leave,” the documents read. But “when a member of the hotel security staff intervened, Combs attempted to bribe the staff member to ensure silence.”

The indictment also detailed that following his arrest, authorities seized “various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant,” along with “firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers, as well as a drum magazine.”

And while his attorney has said that Combs had been cooperative with the investigation, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams provided more context surrounding the claim.

“The word cooperative or cooperating has taken on tremendous elasticity and no longer really bears any relation to what the word means when we use it in a very specific context,” he explained during a Sept. 17 press conference. “Responding to lawful process and the like does not qualify as cooperation when we use that term here.”

Combs' attorney shared after his Sept. 16 arrest, "Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

For more details on Diddy’s case, keep reading.

Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami properties on March 25, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed to NBC News.  

The sources told the outlet the warrant was out of the Southern District of New York, and a spokesperson for HSI New York confirmed to E! News it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.” 

Law enforcement sources told NBC News the music mogul was in the Miami area when the search warrants were executed. 

News about the investigation broke after Combs faced allegations of sexual misconduct in lawsuits filed by multiple accusers starting in November, with the musician denying the allegations. 

“Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday,” he wrote in a December statement posted on Instagram. “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.” 

The day after HSI executed the search warrants at Combs' L.A. and Miami properties, his lawyer spoke out. 

"Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs' residences," attorney Aaron Dyer said in a March 26 statement to E! News. "There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated." 

Dyer noted Combs “was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.”  

“Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way,” his lawyer's statement continued. “This unprecedented ambush—paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence—leads  to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.” 

And Dyer expressed Combs' intent to defend himself.

“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” he added. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

As for what actually went down during the searches, multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the warrant told NBC News authorities with the Department of Homeland Security seized phones from Combs’ home in Miami before he was scheduled to travel to the Bahamas, and several sources familiar with the matter added that guns were discovered during the search.

One source familiar with the matter also told NBC News three women and one man were interviewed by prosecutors and investigators from the Southern District of New York about allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms purportedly tied to Combs.

On the same day the search warrants were executed at Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles properties, one of his associates, Brendan Paul, was arrested by the Miami-Dade police on suspicion of drug possession, a law enforcement source familiar with the matter told NBC News. 

According to the Miami-Dade arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet, Paul was taken into custody for allegedly possessing suspected cocaine and suspected marijuana candy. 

Prison records obtained by NBC News show Paul was released on March 26 after posting bond.

“We do not plan on trying this case in the media,” Paul’s attorney Brian Bieber said in a statement obtained by the outlet, “all issues will be dealt with in court.” 

In May, Paul accepted a plea deal, with his lawyer Bieber telling People, "Brendan accepted the prosecutor’s offer to permit his entry into the diversion program which, after completion, the case against him will be dismissed in its entirety."

He was arrested in the lobby of a New York hotel on Sept. 16, 2024, according to NBC News. It's unclear what Combs has been charged with and if the arrest has any potential connection to the raids.

“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office," his lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in a statement to E! News. "He is an imperfect person but Is not criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges."

After Combs was arrested based on the sealed indictment, the indictment was unsealed on Sept. 17.

The 54-year-old was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; as well as transportation to engage in prostitution, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.

The indictment alleged Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct” for more than a decade, with prosecutors saying the purported behavior started around 2008.

"To do so," the documents stated, "Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled—creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice."

According to NBC News, Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo told reporters outside the New York courthouse that the Grammy winner would plead not guilty.

“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might,” the lawyer added, per the outlet, “and the full confidence of his lawyers."