Prosecution and defence rest in Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial after six weeks

Australia Broadcast Center

6 hours ago

Warning: This story contains details that may be distressing to some readers.
Sean "Diddy" Combs's legal team has rested its case in his federal sex trafficking and conspiracy trial after making arguments for only about 20 minutes.
Its short presentation comes after more than a month of testimony from over 30 witnesses brought by federal prosecutors.
Mr Combs's lawyers argued that the government failed to prove any of the charges against him and that the judge should drop the case against him.
The 55-year-old music mogul also confirmed to the court that he would not take the stand in his own trial.
"Is it your decision not to testify in this case?" US District Judge Arun Subramanian asked Mr Combs.
"That is my decision, your honour," he replied.
It is standard practice at federal criminal trials for the judge to directly question the defendant about the decision to testify or not.
This is, in part, to ensure that the defendant knows it is his decision, regardless of what his lawyers have told him.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, the prosecution rested its case without calling additional witnesses, bringing the trial closer to an earlier-than-expected conclusion.
Mr Combs, who was arrested in September, has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison.
Since the trial began more than six weeks ago, jurors have heard testimony from 34 witnesses.
This includes two ex-girlfriends of Mr Combs, R&B singer Casandra Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane, who both testified they felt coerced into marathon sex sessions called "freak-offs" or "hotel nights" with male sex workers.
Over several days of testimony, both said Mr Combs beat them, threatened to cut off financial support and leak sex tapes.
Mr Combs's lawyers acknowledged that its client was occasionally violent in domestic relationships, but argued the "freak-offs" were consensual.
Although the defence called no witnesses, it submitted into evidence several text messages between its client and his ex-girlfriends.
Defence lawyer Anna Estevao read jurors several messages, ranging from tender to sexually explicit, that Ms Ventura sent Mr Combs during their decade-long relationship.
In one message from 2012, Ms Ventura wrote: "Besides making love, talking to you is my favourite thing."
Five years later, Ms Ventura told Mr Combs in a series of messages that she missed him, asked him to send a picture of his genitals, and pledged to "be your little freak".
Outside the jury's presence, Ms Estevao told the court the messages showed Mr Combs believed the "freak-offs" were consensual.
"That she's telling Mr Combs that she will be his little freak is probative as to his state of mind as to whether or not she was willing to engage in this kind of sexual activity," Ms Estevao said.
One prosecution witness, forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes, had told jurors that victims of sexual violence often develop "trauma bonds" with their partners, making it difficult to leave abusive relationships.
In the past week, prosecutors and defence lawyers have shown jurors more than 40 minutes of recordings Mr Combs made of the "freak-offs".
Other witnesses that took to the stand included several of Mr Combs's former employees, male escorts, rapper Kid Cudi, singer Dawn Richard, law enforcement agents and more.
When it came time for Judge Subramanian to question Mr Combs after prosecutors rested, he asked the accused how he is doing.
"I'm doing great, your honour," the rapper told the judge, before volunteering a compliment to him before another question could be posed.
"I want to tell you thank you, you're doing an excellent job."
The judge laughed after receiving the compliment.