Sean 'Diddy' Combs charged with sex trafficking in a broad indictment and jailed without bail

Sean "Diddy" Combs was arrested on Tuesday to stand trial in a federal sex trafficking case in which he is accused of overseeing a heinous empire of sexual crimes protected by extortion and horrifying acts of violence.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean 'Diddy' Combs

The music entrepreneur has been charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The indictment against him cites allegations dating back to 2008.

He is suspected of enticing female victims and male sex workers into drugged-up, sometimes days-long sexual displays known as "Freak Offs." The indictment also mentions an attack on his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, that was caught on film.

"Not guilty," Combs told the court, rose to speak after silently listening to the claims with his uncuffed hands folded in his lap.

After U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky declined to grant him bail, Combs took a lengthy gulp from a water bottle and was escorted out of court, turning to face family members in the audience.

"Mr. Combs is a fighter." He's going to fight this till the end. "He's innocent," his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, stated after the hearing. He intends to challenge the bail ruling.

The founder of Bad Boy Records is accused of sexually abusing and physically assaulting women while utilizing personal assistants, security, and household workers to conceal it all. Prosecutors claim he also attempted to bribe and coerce witnesses and victims to keep them silent.

"Simply put, he is a serial abuser and a serial obstructor," Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson stated in court.

Agnifilo admitted Combs was "not a perfect person," stating that he had used drugs and been in "toxic relationships" but was receiving treatment and therapy.

"The evidence in this case is extremely problematic," the lawyer informed the court.

He contended that the lawsuit came from a long-term, consensual relationship that broke due to adultery. He did not name the woman, but the descriptions matched Combs' ten-year relationship with Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.

Agnifilo believed that the "Freak Offs" were an enlargement of that connection rather than coercion.

"Is there sex trafficking? "Not if everyone wants to be there," Agnifilo replied, claiming that officials were interfering on his client's personal life.

Prosecutors stated in court documents that they have questioned over 50 victims and witnesses and expect the number to climb. They stated that they would utilize financial, travel, and billing records, electronic data and emails, and films of the "Freak Offs" to support their claims.

Combs was detained on Monday in Manhattan, some six months after federal agents raided his lavish mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.

A conviction on all charges would result in at least 15 years in jail, with the possibility of a life sentence.

The indictment characterizes Combs as the leader of a criminal operation that engaged or tried to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.

According to the indictment, Combs and his colleagues used their "power and prestige" to intimidate and lure women into his sphere, frequently under the guise of a romantic relationship.

He would then use force, threats, and intimidation to induce the women to interact with male sex workers in the "Freak Offs" – "elaborate and produced sex performances" that Combs arranged and videotaped, resulting in dozens of recordings.