Image by ABC 7
Story by Phil Lewis/Contributor/What I’m Reading
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul who has faced a wave of sexual assault allegations over the last several months, was arrested in New York City after being indicted by a federal grand jury.
Federal agents carried out the arrest Monday evening “based on a sealed indictment filed by the Southern District of New York,” according to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.
He is expected to appear before a federal judge Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Read the indictment in full here. The producer has been indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Marc Agnifilo, attorney for the producer, said that Combs is an “imperfect person but he is not a criminal.”
“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,” Agnifilo said in a statement. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community.”
The attorney also said Combs, 54, had moved to New York last week in order to cooperate with authorities.
Back in November, Combs was sued by his longtime girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who accused him of years of abuse. Though the lawsuit was settled quickly, horrific video of the producer attacking the R&B singer was leaked to CNN in May. Since then, several others have come forward with allegations against Combs — including former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard mostly recently.
In May, federal investigators raided Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex trafficking probe. My colleague Taiyler S. Mitchell broke down nearly 30 years worth of Combs’ legal troubles.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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