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USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs' alleged efforts to conceal abuse uncovered in testimony
Diddy trial updates: Sean Combs' alleged efforts to conceal abuse uncovered in testimony Show Caption Hide Caption Security guard says Sean Combs offered cash for hotel video Eddy Garcia testified Sean Combs paid $100K for hotel footage showing him kick, hit and drag Cassie Ventura Fine, according to court testimony. This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. Prosecutors in Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal trial are attempting to show the extreme lengths the hip-hop mogul went to conceal his alleged pattern of abuse. The Grammy-winning rapper's sweeping federal sex-crimes case resumed in Manhattan court on June 4 after the jury heard from Eddy Garcia, a former security officer at a Los Angeles-area hotel where Combs and former girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine were captured on tape during a 2016 altercation. Garcia told the court on June 3 that Combs paid $100,000 for a copy of the video, which showed him kicking, hitting and dragging Cassie in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel. The attack was first described in Ventura Fine's bombshell 2023 lawsuit, which accused Combs of sexual assault, trafficking and more. CNN last year published the security footage from the hotel. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges. Aside from Garcia, several new names are expected to testify in the trial, including radio personality Enrique Santos. Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling lawsuit that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry. He was arrested in September 2024 and later charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to all five counts against him. Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity. Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in "freak offs" — sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors allege they have video of. The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings. USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom. Sign up for our newsletter for more updates. Contributing: USA TODAY staff If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (4673) and and en Español If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Former Milwaukee Children's Choir director ordered to serve probation on felony charge
A former director of the Milwaukee Children's Choir who was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a child was ordered to serve two years' probation. Marco A. Melendez, 40, of Milwaukee was charged in June 2024 and accused of grooming and sexually assaulting a one-time member of the choir. As part of an agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty in March to contributing to the delinquency of a child, a felony. Charges of child enticement and third-degree sexual assault, both felonies, were dismissed on the prosecutor's motion. On May 23, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michelle Havas ordered Melendez to serve probation with conditions that include sex offender treatment, no contact with the victim and that he not work around any children, according to online court records. He must also register as a sex offender for 15 years. If he violates the terms of probation, he faces 18 months in prison followed by 18 months of extended supervision. Where to find help: The National Sexual Assault Hotline is (800) 656-4673. The City of Milwaukee Health Department has resources for sexual assault survivors here. Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Milwaukee Children's Choir director ordered to serve probation
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cassie testifies against Diddy in federal sex crimes trial
Editor's Note: This story contains discussions of rape or sexual assault that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can find help and discreet resources on the National Sexual Assault Hotline website or by calling 1-800-656-4673. (NewsNation) — Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, took the witness stand in his sex trafficking trial on Tuesday, a day after prosecutors showed jurors video of the music mogul beating her in a hotel in 2016. Footage showing Combs allegedly assaulting the singer, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, has been allowed by the judge for jurors to watch. The hotel surveillance video has been called a 'smoking gun' by legal experts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson asked Ventura about her relationship with Combs, and she stated it went from good to abusive. Diddy admits beating ex-girlfriend Cassie, says he's sorry 'If they were violent arguments, it would usually result in some sort of physical abuse and dragging, just different things,' Ventura told jurors. She claimed Combs would drag her, kick her and stomp her in the head. When asked how often this happened, she responded, 'Too frequently.' Ventura was asked about the sex parties called 'freak offs,' which the prosecution claims were orchestrated by Combs. She said they would hire an escort to set up 'this experience so that I could perform for Sean (Combs).' She said the 2016 hotel hallway video came after a 'freak off' and she was attempting to leave. Ventura testified that during the 'freak offs,' she was 22 years old and was 'confused, nervous, but also loved him very much.' 'I just remember my stomach falling to my butt. Just the nervousness and confusion in that moment,' she said. Ventura claimed she often couldn't say no to Combs, afraid of threats of blackmail and violence. She claimed Combs threatened to post videos on the internet if she didn't follow his instructions. 'Sean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was career, the way I dressed, everything, everything. I just didn't have much say in it at the time,' she said. 'Sean is a really polarizing person, also really charming,' Ventura added. 'It's hard to really be able to decide in that moment what you need when he's telling you what he wants. I just didn't know. I didn't know what would happen.' Diddy can't be charged for 2016 L.A. hotel assault, DA's office says Ventura said the 'freak offs' could last as long as four days. 'The freak offs became a job,' Ventura told the jury in Combs' federal sex crimes trial. Ventura claimed they were typically 36- to 48-hour affairs, with some lasting longer. They would require frequent breaks due to dehydration and drug and alcohol use. Ventura testified that her relationship with Combs began as a platonic one, but that changed after he kissed her in a bathroom on her 21st birthday in Las Vegas. She had signed a deal with Combs' music label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006, and the couple kept their relationship private. 'I was just enamored by him. We were just having a good time. It was really fun, at this point,' she said. After the Vegas trip, she said Combs invited her to hotels in New York to discuss music. At the time, she thought they were in a monogamous relationship, but in her testimony Tuesday, she said, 'Sean Combs had many girlfriends.' 'I didn't get that he was him. As he would say, 'I'm Puff Daddy. Puff Daddy has many rules. Likes the company of women,'' Ventura said. Over time, she testified, Combs became over-controlling, and at times, he would involve his security staff to contact her. She claimed that if Combs didn't like the way she looked or didn't like her attitude, he would get abusive with her. 'You make the wrong face and the next thing I knew I was getting hit in the face,' she said. Ventura testified that Combs paid her rent at her apartments in New York and Los Angeles. He had his own set of keys and would often make unannounced visits. Ventura testified that because so much of her time was spent participating in 'freak offs,' her music career suffered. She claimed she created hundreds of songs, some of which were released on the internet without 'proper release and some just didn't see the light of day.' 'Freak offs became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again,' Ventura said. Tamara Holder, a women's rights and sexual abuse attorney, told Nexstar's NewsNation during the court's lunch break that Ventura's testimony so far is helping the jury 'get to see a real person behind the video.' 'She's credible. She presents well to the jury. But it all comes down to how well she holds up on cross-examination,' Holder said. She added that the testimony is designed to show the jury the prosecution's claim that participation was not consensual. Holder said it is likely Combs' legal team will 'attempt to crucify her, saying this case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money. So that's what we can expect from cross-examination.' The judge ruled that Ventura's husband, Alex Fine, could be in court for some of the singer's testimony but would need to leave when she depicted acts of rape. Fine is expected to testify himself later in the trial, called by the defense team in an effort to dispute Ventura's testimony. Prosecutors argued that Fine is part of the emotional support system for Cassie, who is pregnant, and should be in the courtroom when she testifies. Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2023, alleging in New York federal court that he brought her into his 'ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle' when she was just 19 and he was 37. In the lawsuit, Ventura detailed a yearslong relationship that included beatings and rapes, saying that a pattern of abuse began as soon as the relationship started. That lawsuit was settled out of court shortly after it was filed. This story is developing. Refresh for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
Forensic genealogy helped find Rachel Morin's accused killer
Editor's Note: This story contains discussions of rape or sexual assault that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can find help and discreet resources on the National Sexual Assault Hotline website or by calling 1-800-656-4673. (NewsNation) — Authorities used forensic genealogy to track down Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, the man accused of raping and murdering Rachel Morin in 2023. Claire Glynn, the founding director of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy at the University of New Haven, joined 'Elizabeth Vargas Reports' on Friday to talk about the process. She said the method entails using the unknown DNA sample to build out a family tree of relatives until a suspect is found. Martinez-Hernandez's defense disputed the discovery of the DNA, saying the results weren't 100% linked to him. Glynn says it could happen when some genetic markers are lost in a DNA profile during the forensic process if the sample was contaminated or only a low sample was found. Mother of man rescued from Connecticut 'House of Horrors': 'I love you' Prosecutors on the case say they found multiple DNA samples from Martinez-Hernandez from the site and on Morin. 'Whenever you have multiple different DNA samples on different sites and sources on the body and on the victim, that's giving a lot of strength to the evidence,' Glynn said. Glynn said the tool is new and is being used more in cases similar to Morin's and other challenging cases. It was used in the Golden State Killer's discovery in 2018. 'In the time since 2018, 1,200 different cases have benefited from the use of forensic genealogy,' Glynn said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Murfreesboro man sentenced for rape, attempted rape
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Murfreesboro man accused of raping three women while they were unconscious will spend more than a dozen years behind bars, officials said. A Rutherford County Grand Jury indicted Immanuel Webb, 39, on two counts of rape and one count of aggravated burglary in July 2022. Just a year later, Webb was indicted again on seven counts rape and two counts of sexually battery after another victim came forward and reported she had been sexually assaulted by the 39-year-old. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → During an investigation into the allegations, detectives reportedly found numerous videos on Webb's cellphone, which involved unidentified women being sexually assaulted while they were unconscious. In July 2023, the Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) sent out a release in an attempt to identify additional victims who may have been assaulted by Webb based on the material that was found on his phone. Following the release, police said a third victim came forward and reported she had also been sexually assaulted by Webb while she was unconscious. Detectives added video found on Webb's phone supported the victim's claims. This led to Webb being indicted for a third time in October 2023 on three counts of rape and two counts of sexual battery. READ MORE | Latest headlines from Murfreesboro and Rutherford County On Feb. 14, Webb reportedly pled guilty to two counts of rape and one count of attempted rape during a hearing in Rutherford County Circuit Court. 'The three women were courageous in coming forward and reporting the heinous crimes committed against them,' said Crime Investigations Division Detective Emily Speed. 'We hope this brings peace of mind to the victims that this man will no longer be able to continue to hurt and prey on any more women.' Webb was sentenced to serve 16 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Officials added as part of a plea agreement, 10 counts of rape, four counts of sexual battery and one count of aggravated burglary were dismissed. According to police, Webb will be required to pay all court costs and fees and will have to register as a sex offender for life after his release from prison. If you are a victim of rape or sexual assault in Rutherford County, you can report it to police or call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 615-494-9262. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
