Sex trafficking expert breaks down allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs – Press and Guide

August Brown | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

Monday night’s indictment of Sean “Diddy” Combs significantly increased the rapper and mogul’s legal dangers. The charges of sex trafficking, extortion and transportation to engage in prostitution follow a high-profile federal investigation that included raids 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 slew of other disturbing allegations that have tarnished his reputation.

On Tuesday, Combs pleaded not guilty to all charges in a federal court in Manhattan.

According to the indictment, Combs allegedly used a pattern of coercion, threats and violence to control victims. How does a relationship — romantic, musical or otherwise — morph into what prosecutors allege is a violent sex trafficking ring run by a rap celebrity?

The Times spoke with Lauren Hersh, national director of the activist group World Without Exploitation and former head of the sex trafficking unit in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn. He discussed the methods Combs allegedly used to entice and control victims, and what the indictment means for our changing view of how sex trafficking works.

Most people following this are aware of the individual cases of alleged abuse involving Cassie and others. How does the indictment attempt to connect multiple alleged incidents to a pattern of organized human trafficking?

What we saw filtering through were these individual stories of individual women. For anyone who understands the complexity of these echoes, when we see situations filtering through, there is often something bigger and often more organized. It came as no surprise to me that this was a complex operation, that he was (allegedly) using his company to carry out all sorts of criminal activities … they all fell under the broad umbrella of his company.

How can people – including successful musicians – become involved in an alleged sex trade in the first place?

It’s a classic situation where you have two things: a dynamic of power and a dynamic of vulnerability. Different trafficking schemes have varying degrees of power. The more powerful someone is, the more that person can use power to abuse vulnerable people… He (allegedly) has the ability to manipulate and deceive to create a culture of silence and deference, to buy people into silence, to coerce people into hiding his behavior.

But in the beginning, it’s very tempting for people to be in his company, to be on his payroll, to be in his hotel rooms. He has cachet that people are attracted to, he uses that mechanism to lure people in.

How does the indictment describe the ways in which he allegedly turned that power exchange into criminal trafficking?

What we have here is an extraordinary level of (alleged) coercion. (The indictment alleges) that he gave people drugs, that he forced people to perform sexual acts for days on end, and then he got them to comply by threatening their careers. He recorded videos of sexual acts, and then he dangled videos over people’s heads, saying, “If you say anything or reveal anything, I will spread this.” That is terrifying, that is life-shattering. There was violence, physical and sexual.

He got people to sign NDAs and (allegedly) bribed his accomplices into silence. From a legal perspective, that’s an effective tool, but when you think about power and vulnerability, it’s really intimidating to give them an NDA, another tool in this man’s toolbox to create (an) intimidated silence. That’s what traffickers do, they use all sorts of mechanisms to make victims too scared and traumatized to talk.

He’s been very effective at using NDAs over the years. Could some of the information or testimony withheld in those documents come out in a trial?

The U.S. Attorney seemed to indicate that this is an ongoing investigation, and very often new victims come forward. One person is encouraged to come forward, people are encouraged by survivors. There is a good chance that other people and evidence will come forward. I would not be surprised if there is a superseding indictment with additional information. These charges date back to 2008.

The public and prosecutors are starting to understand these cases better. The more we know about these cases, the better questions we ask, the better we as a society can ensure that there is accountability. There was a very long period of time where there was virtually no accountability for this man. This is a moment of reckoning, and as we build each of these cases, we are more inclined to not give the powerful a free pass. The days of impunity are over, and for the victims, that is real.

How can victims get themselves out of it? What psychological impact might it have on them to come forward after such an experience?

Cassie is an extraordinary, courageous woman. Her courage to speak her truth is just extraordinary. For so many victims of exploitation, recovery is a lifelong endeavor. The trauma is so profound. We’re talking about tremendous psychological damage, very often physical damage, and the lifelong trauma of repeated sexual abuse. It’s really hard to unravel and it requires a tremendous amount of services.

We work with survivors and often it takes them ten, twenty, thirty years to process the trauma.

How important is this indictment to his accusers? Is it a turning point in holding someone of his status and resources criminally accountable?

With this indictment, the message is clear, that we believe you. That is really powerful. Victims have probably been told repeatedly, ‘Don’t speak, because no one will believe you.'”

That sends a message to anyone who thinks of an exploitative crime that the days of the powerful operating with total impunity are over. I believe we are at a critical moment where we look at things carefully and hold them accountable. It is for his survivors, but also for every survivor.

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Originally published: September 18, 2024 at 2:02 PM