Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: More than 100 people sue rapper

More than a hundred people have sued rap musician Sean “Diddy” Combs for assault, rape and sexual exploitation, a U.S. attorney said.

Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said the alleged victims include minors as young as nine years old.

“This is an important issue that we want to address aggressively,” Buzbee told reporters.

The lawsuit marks the first time Mr. Combs has been accused of child sexual abuse.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Buzbee said he and his team “will leave no stone unturned to find potentially liable parties” in the alleged abuse, or “any person or entity that participated in or benefited from this egregious conduct.” .

The legal action is the latest against Mr. Combs.

Mr. Combs was arrested last week and faces criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. He is currently in federal custody after being denied bail, which his attorney is appealing.

He continues to deny all allegations of criminal wrongdoing. The BBC has contacted Mr Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, for comment on the latest civil lawsuit.

According to Mr. Buzbee, who is licensed to practice law in Texas and New York, the total number of alleged victims he represents is 120, half of whom are men and half of whom are women.

He added that 25 of the alleged victims he represents were minors.

The allegations span from 1991 to as late as this year, with the incidents occurring in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, Mr. Buzbee said. He added that most of the incidents occurred after 2015.

Most of the accusers, he said, allege they were raped after parties organized by Mr. Combs that were held at well-known locations as well as private homes and hotels.

Mr Buzbee said the celebrations would either mark an album release, as well as New Year’s Eve parties and US Independence Day celebrations. Others took place during what he said were auditions where the alleged victims were trying to break into the entertainment industry.

Mr. Buzbee said this is not a class action lawsuit and an individual case will be filed for each alleged victim.