Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail at a hearing Tuesday and will remain in federal detention on charges including racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. The rap mogul was arrested at a Manhattan hotel Monday night. Judge Robyn Tarnofsky told him her concern was that “this is a crime that happens behind closed doors, even when pretrial services is monitoring,” CNN reports. Combs’ lawyers had proposed home detention with a $50 million bond, secured by property including Combs’ Miami mansion.
Prosecutors argued that Combs was a flight risk, and that he could intimidate witnesses in the case if he was released on bond, reports TMZ. In a memo supporting the request to deny bail, US Attorney Damian Williams said Combs’ “disposition to violence cannot be reasonably prevented through bail conditions,” per NBC News. He said Combs, who pleaded not guilty at Tuesday’s hearing, “poses a significant danger to the community.” The memo said interviews with more than 50 victims and witnesses uncovered details of decades of alleged physical abuse against women, and one kidnapping attempt.
According to an indictment unsealed Tuesday, Combs engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals.” Combs “physically and sexually abused victims for decades. He used the vast resources of his company to facilitate his abuse and cover up his crimes. Simply put, he is a serial abuser and a serial obstructor,” Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson told the court, per the AP. After the hearing, Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said, “He’s going to clear his name and we’re going to stand by his side as he does. We believe in him wholeheartedly.” An appeal of the bail decision will be heard by a different judge on Wednesday. (More Sean Combs stories.)
