Monday night’s indictment against Sean “Diddy” Combs significantly increased the rapper and mogul’s legal jeopardy. The charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation for prostitution followed a high-profile federal investigation, which included a raid on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami. Civil lawsuits filed by Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and others allege sexual abuse, physical assault and a litany of other disturbing allegations that have tarnished his reputation.
On Tuesday, Combs pleaded not guilty to all counts in the indictment in federal court in Manhattan.
According to the indictment, Combs allegedly used a pattern of coercion, threats and violence to keep victims under his control. How could a relationship — romantic, musical or otherwise — turn into what prosecutors allege is a violent sex trafficking ring run by a rap celebrity?
The Times spoke to Lauren Hersh, national director of the advocacy group World Without Exploitation and a former head of the sex trafficking unit at the Kings County district attorney’s office in Brooklyn, about the methods Combs is accused of using to lure and control victims — and what the indictment means about our changing views of how sex trafficking works.
Most people who follow this are aware of individual cases of alleged abuse. involving Cassie et al. How does the prosecution seek to link several alleged incidents to a pattern of organized trafficking?
What we saw leaking out were these individual stories from individual women. For anyone who understands the complexity of these echoes, when we start to see situations leaking out, there is often something bigger and often more organized. I was not surprised that this was a complex operation, that [allegedly] He used his company to carry out all kinds of criminal activities… all of which fell under the broad umbrella of his business.
How could people? —some of them successful musicians in their own right— find themselves involved in an alleged sex trafficking operation. first of all?
This is a classic situation involving two elements: a dynamic with a position of power and a position of vulnerability. Different trafficking schemes have varying capacities in terms of power. The more powerful a person is, the more they can use their power to take advantage of vulnerable people… [allegedly] has the ability to manipulate and deceive to create a culture of silence and deference, to bribe people into silence, to force people to conceal their behavior.
But in the beginning, people find it very attractive to be in your company, to be on your payroll, to be in your hotel rooms. You have a prestige that attracts people, and you use that mechanism to attract people.
How does the prosecution describe the ways in which… allegedly Did that power exchange turn into criminal trafficking?
What we are seeing here is an extraordinary level of [alleged] coercion. [The indictment alleges] He would give people drugs, force them to perform sexual acts for days, and then force them to comply by threatening to lose their career. He would record videos of sexual acts and then show them to people with messages like, “If you say or reveal anything, I will spread it.” That is terrifying, it is a destruction of life. There was violence, physical and sexual.
I would make people sign confidentiality agreements and [allegedly] Bribing your enablers into silence. From a legal perspective, it's an effective tool, but when you think about the power and vulnerability, handing them a non-disclosure agreement is really intimidating, just another tool in this guy's toolbox. [create] Intimidating silence. That's what traffickers do: they use all kinds of mechanisms to make victims too terrified and traumatized to speak.
You have been very effective in using confidentiality agreements over the years. Could some of the information or testimony hidden in those documents come to light during a trial?
The U.S. attorney seemed to indicate that this is an ongoing investigation and that new victims come forward very often. A person is encouraged to speak out, and survivors give people courage. There is a strong possibility that other people and evidence will come forward. I would not be surprised if there was a superseding indictment with additional information. These indictments date back to 2008.
The public and prosecutors are starting to understand these types of cases better. The more we know about them, the better questions we'll ask and the better we'll do as a society to make sure there's accountability. There was a very long period where there was virtually no accountability for this type of case. This is a time of reckoning, and in each of these cases, we're more inclined not to give the powerful a free pass. The days of impunity are over, and for the victims, that's real.
As They could be victims break freeWhat impact? Could be What do they have to do psychologically to move forward after going through such an experience?
Cassie is an extraordinary and courageous woman. To be able to have the courage to speak her truth is an extraordinary thing. For many victims of exploitation, recovery is a lifelong job. The trauma is very severe. We're talking about a lot of psychological damage, very often physical damage, and the lifelong trauma of repeated sexual abuse. It's really difficult to unravel and requires a huge amount of services.
We work with survivors and very often many take ten, twenty, thirty years and they are still unraveling the trauma.
As Is this accusation important to him? accusers? Is this a turning point to hold? Is someone of your status and resources criminally responsible?
With this accusation, the message is clear: we believe you. That is really powerful. Victims have most likely been told repeatedly: “Don’t talk because no one will believe you.”
That sends a message to anyone thinking about a crime of exploitation: the days of the powerful acting with total impunity are over. I think we're at a critical moment where we're looking at cases very carefully and holding them accountable. It's for their survivors, but it's also for all survivors.
