Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail for third time in sex-trafficking case

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail for the third time by a judge in New York City.

Two judges previously denied Mr Combs’s release from custody, primarily due to concerns about potential witness tampering, deeming it a significant risk if he was freed before trial, which is scheduled for May 2025.

Mr Combs is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution.

He has entered a plea of not guilty and has also denied more than two dozen sexual assault accusations lodged in a flurry of civil lawsuits.

The judge cited evidence in the case showing Mr Combs’s alleged attempts at witness tampering, his violation of prison regulations while behind bars and claims he ran a “criminal enterprise” including forced labour and kidnapping.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian concluded the court could not trust Mr Combs if released on bail.

“The Court finds that the government has shown by clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community,” the judge wrote in Wednesday’s ruling.

Prosecutors had opposed granting Mr Combs bail, citing his misconduct while in custody.

In a recent court filing, prosecutors accused the rap mogul of misusing jail communications to influence witnesses in his case and coercing others in his orbit to post online in order to sway public opinion and benefit his defence.

But defence attorneys for Mr Combs said he should be released so he has adequate time to prepare for his trial next year.

Earlier this month, Judge Subramanian ordered prosecutors in the case to destroy all copies of nearly 20 pages seized during a recent search of the former hip-hop star’s jail cell.

Some of the documents included handwritten notes to his attorneys and thoughts on his legal strategy, court filings show.

Mr Combs’s legal team said the search was unlawful and that the material was subject to attorney-client privilege, a legal doctrine that safeguards confidential communications between lawyers and those they represent.

But prosecutors said the information wasn’t protected due to Mr Combs’s alleged actions, which could be considered obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

They claimed Mr Combs had encouraged his children to post a video on social media featuring their birthday celebration with the aim of swaying prospective jurors.

Allegedly, Mr Combs sent hundreds of text messages using an app called ContactMeASAP, marketed as “an innovative text messaging service for federal inmates to communicate with loved ones via real-time messages”.

According to authorities, Mr Combs has maintained two accounts on the platform, communicating with dozens of individuals, including attorneys and others not listed on his approved contacts list at the jail.

Lisa Bloom, an attorney for Dawn Richard, who filed a civil lawsuit against Mr Combs in September, also alleges that he was contacting witnesses from prison.

In an interview with BBC’s Newsnight, she said one person had called her client a liar, and that phone tracking showed this person had had more than 100 points of contact with Mr Combs from jail.

“The strong implication there is that he talked her into making those statements, perhaps gave her money. We don’t know. But that would be witness tampering,” Ms Bloom told Newsnight.

Prosecutors have stated their investigation is ongoing, leaving open the possibility of additional charges or defendants.

Ms Bloom said she believes others could be charged in the investigation.

“He didn’t do this by himself,” Ms Bloom said. “He had an operation that people were brought in by others, so he didn’t do everything himself. And we think it’s very important that not only do predators get brought to justice, but those who conspire with them, who help them, who are complicit.”

Dozens of civil lawsuits also have been filed against Mr Combs accusing him of coercing and abusing both men and women, blackmailing them with video recordings of sexual encounters, threatening witnesses, and in some cases, physically beating them.

Several cases include accusations from people who were underage at the time of the alleged assaults.

Mr Combs has vehemently denied all the allegations.

His legal team previously offered a $50m bail package that included house arrest and no female visitors, but it was rejected by the court.

He put up his Los Angeles and Miami mansions for sale in a bid to secure the bail bond. (BBC News)