A US judge denied Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request to postpone his upcoming sex-trafficking trial by two months.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said the hip-hop mogul’s request came too close to his trial. Jury selection is slated to start on May 5, with opening remarks on May 12.
Diddy, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts, including racketeering and sex trafficking.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office claim Combs used his business empire to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024.
According to Diddy”s lawyers, the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual.
In a court filing on Wednesday, Agnifilo requested a delay in the trial to prepare for new charges brought on April 4.
The defence also requested more time to review emails from the alleged victim.
Federal prosecutors opposed any delay, stating in a Thursday court filing that the extra accusations presented earlier this month did not amount to substantially new behaviour and that Combs had no right to access the claimed victim’s correspondence.
At Thursday’s hearing, Subramanian also granted prosecutors’ request that some claimed victims testify under pseudonyms to safeguard their privacy during the trial.
Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, created Bad Boy Records and is credited with helping rappers and R&B singers such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G., and Usher become famous in the 1990s and 2000s.
But prosecutors have argued his success disguised a sinister side. They claim that his alleged abuse included forcing women to participate in videotaped sexual performances known as “freak offs” with male sex workers, who were sometimes transferred over state boundaries.
Combs has been imprisoned in Brooklyn since September. Following the hearing, he turned to chat with his mother and supporters, one of whom wore a black hoodie with the words “Free Puff”.
“I love you all,” Diddy said, blowing a kiss, before being led away by U.S. Marshals.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Anthony Odiong: Nigerian Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison over sexual assault")
