Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs charged with sex trafficking, pleads not guilty. Read the indictment

Sean “Diddy” Combs used his fame as one of the biggest names in hip-hop to coerce women into engaging in demeaning sex acts as part of a long-running scheme of sex trafficking and racketeering, according to a three-count federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

Combs, 54, used the business empire he controlled, including his record label Bad Boy Entertainment, to transport women, as well as male sex workers, across state lines to take part in recorded sexual performances called “Freak Offs” in which the music mogul would watch and masturbate, prosecutors said.

Download the full indictment.

Wearing a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants, Combs pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky in Manhattan. The judge is expected to decide whether Combs, who was arrested on Monday, should remain in custody pending trial.

The rapper and producer faces a mandatory minimum 15-year prison sentence and up to life behind bars if convicted of the three felony counts: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs was led into the courtroom by members of the U.S. marshals service. Sitting at the defense table, Combs spoke briefly with lawyer Marc Agnifilo and nodded. Combs looked to his right, where the Midtown Manhattan skyline was visible through an open window from the 26th floor courtroom, then sighed and looked down.

Also known during his career as P. Diddy and Puff Daddy, Combs founded Bad Boy records and is credited with helping turn rappers and R&B singers such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars in the 1990s and 2000s.

Prosecutors accused Combs of running a criminal enterprise to facilitate his exploitation of women, dating back at least 16 years, in a case brought by the office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.

Defense lawyers are seeking Combs’ release on $50 million bond secured by his Miami home.

Agnifilo acknowledged that Combs has a history of drug use and toxic relationships, and said he was getting treatment and therapy for “things he needs treatment and therapy for,” without going into specifics.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik, arguing for continued detention, told the judge that 12 witnesses had either seen Combs engage in violence toward women or had seen women’s injuries caused by him.

“The defendant Sean Combs physically and sexually abused victims for decades,” Slavik said in trying to persuade the judge to keep him detained. “He is extremely dangerous to the community.”

Slavik said Combs posed a risk of obstructing justice if released, saying he had contacted witnesses who received grand jury subpoenas, including one victim.

His career and reputation have been marred over the past year. Last November, his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, an R&B singer known as Cassie, accused him in a lawsuit of serial physical abuse, sexual slavery and rape. She agreed to an undisclosed settlement one day after suing. Combs denied her allegations.

Prosecutors said Combs and his associates used bribery and violence such as arson and kidnapping to try to keep his conduct secret.

In a March 2016 incident that resembles Cassie’s description of his alleged attack, prosecutors said Combs was captured on a hotel security video striking and dragging a woman trying to leave a “Freak Off.” Combs then offered a stack of cash to a hotel security officer who intervened, prosecutors said.

In 2011, Combs and a co-conspirator kidnapped a person at gun point to facilitate a break in, prosecutors said. Two weeks later, Combs’ co-conspirators set a car on fire, and he later bragged about his role in the arson, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Combs’ employees helped arrange the “Freak Offs” by booking hotel rooms and buying controlled substances and other items used during sex, according to the indictment.

During raids of his homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida six months ago, authorities found drugs and 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, along with AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers, the indictment said.

The next hearing in the case was set for Sept. 24.