Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail for sex trafficking charges and sent to prison before his trial

Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges - but has been thrown in jail until his trial after a judge refused him bail.

An indictment says the music mogul “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals”.

Combs, 54, was arrested late on Monday in Manhattan, roughly six months after federal authorities conducting a sex trafficking investigation raided his luxurious homes in Los Angeles and Miami.

Over the past year, Combs has been sued by people who say he subjected them to physical or sexual abuse. He has denied many of those allegations, and his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said outside the courthouse on Tuesday morning that he would “fight like hell” to get his client released from custody.

Federal prosecutors asked that Combs be jailed without bail, while his attorneys proposed he be released on a $50m bond. The New York judge sided with prosecutors and sent him to prison while he awaits trial.

In court, Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson said the government is seeking Combs’ detention on “multiple bases,” including the severity of the charges against him and the potential punishment of life in prison.

She argued that he is a flight risk and there is a risk of witness intimidation.

“Mr Combs physically and sexually abused victims for decades,” Ms Johnson said. “He used the vast resources of his company to facilitate his abuse and cover up his crimes. Simply put, he is a serial abuser and a serial obstructor.”