More than 100 people, including dozens of children, have now spoken out to say they were victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation at the hands of US rapper 'Diddy'.
A judge has turned down Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request to stop information about his sex trafficking case from being leaked to the media – but has put a similar gag order in place instead.
New York judge Arun Subramanian responded to the plea from the rapper’s lawyers lastFriday, reports Page Six.
He refused the terms proposed by Combs’ legal team, but has put an order in place requiring investigators, federal agents and the rapper’s lawyers to observe the laws preventing them from leaking information about the grand jury proceedings that could interfere with a fair trial.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' plea for a gag order in his sex trafficking case has been refused. Photo / Getty Images
Subramanian wrote, “To be clear, this order isn’t based on a finding that there has been any wrongdoing thus far, as the Court has made no findings at this juncture relating to defendant’s allegations that information related to the case has been leaked.
They alleged that the feds gave the footage to CNN in May this year to “mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself against these allegations”.
They continued, “Rather than using the videotape as trial evidence, alongside other evidence that gives it context and meaning, the agents misused it in the most prejudicial and damaging way possible.”
However, federal agents denied they were behind the leak, telling the judge that the US government did not possess the video before CNN published it and that “there is thus no colorable factual basis for the defendant’s claim”.
Combs was arrested on September 16, charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution, and is in a New York prison awaiting trial.
