Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs are asking a judge to reveal the identities of his accusers

NEW YORK (AP) – Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs asked a New York judge on Tuesday to force prosecutors to release the names of his accusers in his sex trafficking case.

Lawyers wrote in a letter to a Manhattan federal court judge that the hip-hop music maker must know the identities of his alleged victims so as to properly prepare for trial.

Combs’ trial date was set for May 5 last week. He pleaded not guilty.

A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office declined to comment on the matter.

Combs, 54, stays in jail without bail after being federally arrested on Sept. 16 for sex trafficking. His lawyers have asked a federal appeals court to release him from house arrest so he can more easily meet with lawyers and prepare for trial.
So far, judges have found he poses a danger to the community and can’t be released.

The demand to discover accusers got here a day after six recent lawsuits were filed anonymously against Combs to protect the identities of alleged victims. Two of the accusers were identified as Jane Does, while 4 of the men were named in the lawsuit as John Does. The lawsuit alleged that he used his fame and guarantees to enhance his prospects in the music industry to persuade victims to attend lavish parties or drug-fuelled gatherings, during which he then attacked them.

The plaintiffs in Monday’s trials are part of what their attorneys say is a group of greater than 100 accusers who are in the process of taking legal motion against Combs.

In their Tuesday letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs’ lawyers said the case against their client was unique, partly because of the number of accusers. They attributed the number to “his celebrity status, wealth, and the notoriety of his previously settled lawsuit.”

The reference apparently cites a November lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend, Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura. The next day, Combs settled the case, but has since been dogged by allegations of sexual and physical harassment.

The Associated Press doesn’t typically name individuals who say they’ve been victims of sexual abuse unless they arrive forward publicly, as Ventura did.

Combs’ lawyers say the Cassie settlement, together with federal agents’ “false inflammatory statements” and Combs’ fame, “have had a pervasive ripple effect, generating a torrent of allegations from unidentified complainants that range from false to downright absurd.” “

They said the lawsuits filed Monday with other lawsuits and their “swirling allegations have created a hysterical media circus that, if left unchecked, will irreversibly deprive Mr. Combs of a fair trial if he has not already received it.”

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The lawyers wrote that the government should discover the alleged victims because Combs has no way of knowing what allegations prosecutors depend on in making allegations in the indictment.

“To the extent that Mr. Combs is forced to mount a defense against criminal charges that the government does not seek to prove at trial, he has a right to know about it,” the lawyers said.

The indictment accuses Combs of using a network of associates and employees to coerce and harass women over the years, while also using blackmail and acts of violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings, to prevent victims from speaking out.