Rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs made his first court appearance on Thursday following his recent arrest on charges of alleged sexual assault, racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The 54-year-old hip-hop mogul arrived at the Manhattan federal courthouse dressed in prison attire. During the hearing, the presiding judge set the trial date for May 2025, while prosecutors indicated that more serious charges may be filed in the coming days.
According to a report in The Guardian, it was revealed that the authorities seized 96 electronic devices during the raids at Diddy’s Los Angeles and Miami homes and a private airport in South Florida. Four more devices were seized during his arrest in September. They added that he might face additional charges upon future investigation.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs appeared calm as he made his first appearance in front of Judge Arun Subramanian, who will be presiding over the trial. While his mother flew in from Florida, the rapper leaned on his family’s support, including children in the courtroom gallery. The trial date has been set for May 5, 2025.
Diddy’s Case Update
During the hearing on Thursday, prosecutor Emily Johnson aimed at the defence’s most recent claim, taking issue with their argument that the US Department of Homeland Security leaked Diddy’s assault video. The footage in question shows the rapper “punching and kicking” his former partner Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway.
While Combs’s lawyers claimed that the video was intentionally leaked to “damage” the rapper’s reputation, Johnson called them out for being baseless and trying to exclude a piece of evidence. “Not a single one of those alleged leaks are from members of the prosecution team,” she added.
For those not in the loop, the Bad Boy Records founder has been accused of running a “criminal enterprise,” which involves racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, fraud, or coercion. It was also claimed that he abused, threatened, and forced women to fulfill his sexual desires and conceal his actions. While Diddy continues to plead not guilty, multiple lawsuits, including one from Cassie, against him led to his arrest last month. He currently remains at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre. If convicted, the rapper can face a minimum of 15 years in prison.
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