Sean “Diddy” Combs must stay in Brooklyn federal jail as he awaits his sex trafficking trial instead of the luxury of his Florida mansion, a judge has ruled. US District Judge Andrew Carter ruled that the hip-hop mogul’s plan — which included a $50m bail offer, GPS monitoring and strict limitations on visitors — was “insufficient” to ensure the safety of the community and the integrity of his case. Carter, agreeing with prosecutors who fought to keep Combs in jail, found that “no condition or set of conditions” governing his release could guard against the risk of him threatening or harming witnesses — a central charge in his case.
Combs’ lawyers were making their second attempt to release him from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he has been held in the special housing unit since pleading not guilty to charges he physically and sexually abused women for years. A federal magistrate rejected Combs’ initial request for bail on Tuesday. An indictment accuses Combs, 54, of using his “power and prestige” to induce female victims and male sex workers into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances dubbed “Freak Offs” that Combs arranged, participated in and often recorded.
The events would sometimes last days, the indictment said. The indictment alleges he coerced and abused women for years, with the help of a network of associates and employees, while using blackmail and violent acts including kidnapping, arson and phys.