The more than 100 people expected to file new sex crime charges against rapper Diddy

More than 100 people will sue American rapper Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, for sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation, a US lawyer said.

Tony Buzbee, a lawyer who works in Texas, stated at a press conference this Tuesday (1st) that some of the alleged victims include minors. One of them was allegedly abused when she was just nine years old.

This is the most recent lawsuit against the rapper and will not be a class action lawsuit — there will be an individual lawsuit for each alleged victim.

The rapper — who during his career used several names, such as Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love and Brother Love — pleads not guilty.

Erica Wolff, a lawyer representing Diddy, said he “emphatically and categorically” denies the allegations, which are “false and defamatory.”

RAPPER IS ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING CHILDREN

According to Buzbee, the total number of alleged victims he is representing is 120, half of whom are men and the other half are women, from more than 25 US states.

He added that 25 were minors. This is the first time Diddy has been accused of sexually abusing children.

The charges cover the period from 1991 to this year, with cases in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, according to the lawyer. He added that most of the episodes occurred after 2015.

Most of the people who report the rapper, according to him, allege that they were raped at parties organized by Diddy, held in well-known locations, as well as private homes and hotels.

Buzbee said the parties were usually to mark album releases, or New Year’s and Independence Day parties. Other abuses allegedly occurred during rehearsals and talent tests.

“Often, especially young people who wanted to break into the industry, they were coerced into this type of behavior with the promise of becoming a star or that Sean Combs would listen to their recording,” the lawyer said.

A man, who was nine years old at the time, alleges he was sexually assaulted by the rapper and his associates in a New York recording studio while trying to get a record deal, according to his lawyer.

“If he didn’t have the power, I feel like it could have been something great. I gave up on the industry because of what Sean Combs did to me,” the man said in a statement published by his lawyer.

Another man, who was also a minor at the time, claimed that the rapper promised him that he would be turned into a “star” but would first need to visit him alone, without his parents.

In the private place, Diddy allegedly asked the boy to perform oral sex on him, according to the lawyer.

Buzbee also mentioned the case of a 15-year-old girl who claims she was taken to New York to a party organized by the rapper and was later raped by him and other men.

The lawyer argued that there was a clear modus operandioffering “christened” drinks to victims before sexual assaults.

“The entertainment industry’s biggest secret has finally been revealed to the world,” said Buzbee. “The wall of silence has been broken.”

OFFICE RECEIVED MORE THAN 3 THOUSAND COMPLAINTS

Andrew Van Arsdale, an attorney who is working with Buzbee, said his office has received more than 3,000 phone calls from people alleging abuse by the music mogul.

In addition to the 120 alleged victims, he said his office is working to evaluate another 100 cases.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested last month and faces criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The rapper is currently in federal custody after being denied bail. He appealed the decision.

Buzbee also stated that he and his team “will leave no stone unturned in finding potentially responsible parties” for the alleged abuse or “any individual or entity that participated in or benefited from this outrageous behavior.”

Diddy’s lawyer said in a statement to the BBC that the rapper “looks forward to proving his innocence and defending himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”

This text was originally published here.