September 17, (THEWILL) -Former rapper and business mogul, Sean Combs, popularly known as Diddy, was on Monday, September 16, arrested for alleged sexual assault and human trafficking in Manhattan.
The arrest was carried out in pursuant to an indictment by the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Marc Agnifilo, his attorney, stated that Combs has been cooperating with the investigation that resulted in the indictment and voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.
His team maintains his innocence, and says he has nothing to hide.
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist, who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person but is not a criminal.
“These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide and he looks forward to clearing his name in court”, Agnifilo added.
The rapper came under investigation by Homeland Security earlier this year for sex trafficking leading to searches of his Los Angeles and Miami residences in March.
The investigation is broader, encompassing sex trafficking, money laundering and illegal drug activities.
Combs has faced 10 lawsuits in November last year with nine of them directly alleging sexual assault.
Several of these accusers have been interviewed by federal investigators as part of the extensive probe.
While the specific evidence and allegations leading to Combs’ arrest are not yet clear, he is facing numerous civil lawsuits filed over the past year nearly all of which include claims of sexual assault.
One of the 10 lawsuits against the music mogul which names him as a defendant includes allegations of sexual assault by his son Christian Combs, brought by a woman who was employed as a yacht crew member.
