In a grand jury indictment unsealed Friday, federal prosecutors added a second significant sex-trafficking allegation to the accusation against Sean Combs, who is set to go on trial next month.
The lady who is the subject of the new accusation is referred to the prosecutors as “Victim-2.” She is allegedly one of three women that Mr. Combs forced into having sex.
Mr. Combs had previously only been charged with “Victim-2” sex trafficking, a less serious felony that makes it unlawful to transport someone “with intent that such individual engage in prostitution.” A second count of a more serious sex-trafficking accusation, which has a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in jail, is included in the new indictment.
Mr. Combs, 55, has strongly denied sex trafficking anybody and entered a not guilty plea to the accusations against him, which include a count of racketeering conspiracy. His attorneys have maintained that consensual sex is the behavior that the prosecutors are focusing on.
“These are not new allegations or new accusers,” the Combs defense team stated in a statement issued on Friday in response to the fresh charges. These are the same people that were in consensual relationships with prior long-term girlfriends. Their private sexual life was characterized by consent rather than force.
The trial, which will take place at Manhattan’s Federal District Court, is expected to begin jury selection in late April. On May 12, opening remarks are expected to begin.
The other significant sex trafficking indictment against Mr. Combs is related to accusations made by Casandra Ventura, his ex-girlfriend, whose 2023 lawsuit, which Mr. Combs promptly resolved, prompted the music mogul to be the subject of a criminal inquiry. According to the accusation, Mr. Combs forced Ms. Ventura, who is only referred to as “Victim-1” in court documents, to participate in elaborate sexual displays known as “freak-offs” with male prostitutes.
According to the indictment, the alleged abusive behavior involving “Victim-2,” who has never been publicly identified, started in 2021 and ended last year, just as Mr. Combs’s legal issues were getting worse. He has rejected all of the accusations of sexual assault made against him in more than 50 legal lawsuits.
According to the prosecution, Mr. Combs “maintained control” over the ladies by using narcotics, physical force, and promises of financial and professional advancement. In addition, he is charged of filming intercourse and retaining the footage, sometimes without the accused victims’ knowledge.
The indictment against Mr. Combs has been changed three times now. The prior version, which was submitted last month, included fresh claims that Mr. Combs pressured one employee into having sex and had other workers work long hours without any sleep. Mr. Combs entered a not guilty plea to the further charges of criminal activity during a court hearing last month.
Although a “Victim-3” is still mentioned in the indictment, none of the particular criminal charges against that individual are included in the most recent version. One count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of the more serious sex-trafficking charge, and two counts of the lesser sex-trafficking charge—which is based on a federal law known as the Mann Act and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison—are now facing Mr. Combs, who has been awaiting trial from a Brooklyn jail.
