Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to Stand Trial in Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Case Next Year | Entertainment News

Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is scheduled to stand trial for sex trafficking and racketeering charges in May of next year.

The 54-year-old rapper, also known as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, blew kisses to his mother and children in court after a US judge set the trial date at a Manhattan federal court hearing on Thursday.

Combs entered a plea of not guilty on 17 September to a three-count indictment accusing him of using his business empire, including record label Bad Boy Entertainment, to transport male and female sex workers across state lines to participate in recorded sexual performances called “freak offs”.

If convicted of the three counts he faces: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison and a minimum of 15 years.

This was his third court appearance since his arrest in September, and Combs was informed that his trial will commence on 5 May.

The prosecution’s case at the trial is expected to last at least three weeks, according to prosecutor Emily Johnson.

Combs’ defense is anticipated to last around a week, as stated by his lawyer Marc Agnifilo.

Since his arrest, the hip-hip mogul has been incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

He appeared in court on Thursday in a tan prison uniform before being escorted out through a side door by members of the US Marshals Service.

The Manhattan-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals denied his request for immediate release from jail while he appeals another judge’s decision to deny him bail.

The appeal will be heard by a three-judge 2nd Circuit panel at a later date.

Regarding the charges, prosecutors have accused Combs of luring women by providing them with drugs like ketamine and ecstasy, financial assistance, promises of career advancement, or romantic relationships.

Additionally, Combs allegedly used secret recordings of the sex acts as leverage to keep the women quiet, sometimes resorting to displaying weapons to intimidate abuse victims and witnesses, according to prosecutors.

While the indictment does not directly accuse Combs of engaging in unwanted sexual contact with women, he is alleged to have physically assaulted them.

Mr. Agnifilo has described the sexual activities described by prosecutors as consensual.

In a court filing on Wednesday night, Mr. Agnifilo requested a “gag order” to prevent prosecutors and federal agents from sharing evidence with the media.

He cited unauthorized leaks, including a video showing Combs assaulting a woman in 2016.

During the hearing, Ms. Johnson criticized the request as an effort to “exclude a damning piece of evidence”.

She assured that prosecutors would adhere to their obligations not to disclose confidential evidence to the press, and proposed that the defense should also abide by the same rules.

Ms. Johnson also expressed concerns about Mr. Agnifilo’s statement in a September interview with TMZ, where he referred to the case as a “takedown of a successful black man”.

She interpreted the comment as an accusation of the government engaging in racist prosecution, which she believes could jeopardize a fair trial in this case.