Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Pleads Not Guilty to Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Charges

Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty on Tuesday afternoon to charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, which could send him to prison for life.

Prosecutors are arguing to a federal judge in New York that Combs should be held without bail pending the outcome of the trial.

In a detention letter, prosecutors argued that the severity of the charges, combined with Combs’ extraordinary wealth, make him a flight risk. They also argue that Combs has impeded the investigation by pressuring witnesses to lie to law enforcement, and could tamper with the case if released.

“The defendant is dangerous and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community,” the prosecutors allege.

Combs’ lawyers have said that the prosecution is “unjust,” and that he has cooperated with the authorities.

“He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal,” said attorney Marc Agnifilo in a statement. “To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts.”

According to the indictment, Combs has engaged in violent, abusive and coercive conduct toward women for many years. He is accused of orchestrating multi-day orgies, known as “freak offs,” in which women would be coerced into having sex with male sex workers, sometimes on camera. The women would also be given ketamine and other drugs, and would require IV fluids afterward to recover, according to the documents.

Combs is also accused of hitting, kicking and dragging women by the hair, along with other violent acts. The documents claim that in 2011, he and an associate kidnapped someone at gunpoint and set fire to another person’s car with a Molotov cocktail.

If convicted, the charges carry a mandatory minimum of 15 years.