Feds Hit Diddy With Forced Labor Claims In Sex Trafficking Case; Reject Move By Rapper To Suppress Digital Evidence

deadline.com:

Two months before Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial begins in New York, the U.S. Attorney’s office today brought down a new charge against the “All About the Benjamins” performer and shoved back hard on the former mini-mogul’s efforts to have evidence held by federal agents squashed. “The S2 Indictment contains no new charged offenses but includes additional allegations related to the racketeering conspiracy charged in Count One,” a short accompanying letter to Thursday’s superseding indictment says.

This is the second superseding indictment against Combs since his arrest last fall. “Specifically, the S2 Indictment contains additional allegations as to the means and methods of the racketeering enterprise related to forced labor.” According to prosecutors, one of the ways that forced labor was induced was Combs demanding sex with staff. “These employees to believe they would be harmed — including by losing their jobs — if they did not comply with his demands,” the latest indictment explains.

At one point the document filed in federal court gets very specific with its new claim. “With respect to one employee, Combs used physical force, psychological harm, financial harm, and reputational harm, and/or threats of the same to cause the employee to engage in sex acts.” Combs was arrested on September 16 in a Manhattan hotel lobby.

Looking at life behind bars if found guilty, the not guilty pleading Combs was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.