Sean 'Diddy' Combs refused bail a second time over witness tampering fears
Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been denied bail a second time, with the judge saying the prosecution had proved "by clear and convincing evidence" that nothing could guarantee the hip-hop mogul won’t tamper with witnesses.
US District Judge Andrew L. Carter handed down the ruling after prosecutors and defence lawyers presented strenuous arguments for and against a $50 million (£37.85m) bail package.
It would have allowed Combs to be released to home detention with GPS monitoring and strict limitations on who could visit him.
Combs, 54, pleaded not guilty Tuesday after he was accused of using his "power and prestige" to induce female victims and male sex workers into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances dubbed "Freak Offs" that Combs arranged, participated in and often recorded.
The events would sometimes last days, the indictment said.
The indictment alleges he coerced and abused women for years, with the help of a network of associates and employees, while using blackmail and violent acts including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings to keep victims from speaking out.
Combs has been in federal custody since his arrest Monday night at a Manhattan hotel.
Arguing to keep him locked up, prosecutor Emily Johnson told Judge Carter that the once-celebrated rapper has a long history of intimidating both accusers and witnesses to his alleged abuse.
She cited text messages from women who said Combs forced them into "Freak Offs" and then threatened to leak videos of them engaging in sex acts.
Johnson said Combs' defence team was "minimising and horrifically understating" Combs' propensity for violence, taking issue with his lawyer's portrayal of a 2016 assault at a Los Angeles hotel as a lovers’ quarrel.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
Security video of the event showed Combs hitting his then-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in a hotel hallway.
Federal Magistrate Robyn F. Tarnofsky initially ruled that Combs was too dangerous to be freed.
But Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, submitted a letter to Judge Carter on Wednesday asking again for bail under conditions that would allow him to leave the Metropolitan Detention Center, the lockup on the Brooklyn waterfront where he was taken after his arraignment.
In March, authorities raided Combs' luxurious homes in Los Angeles and Miami, seizing drugs, videos and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, according to prosecutors.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...