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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of molesting teenage boy in latest lawsuit – National | Globalnews.ca

admin — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:15:24 +0000

NOTE: The following article contains disturbing content. Please read at your own discretion.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has again been hit with a slew of new lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault, including one claim alleging the hip-hop mogul molested a 16-year-old boy.

Combs, who has already been named in more than a dozen sexual assault lawsuits, was sued by six more people in Manhattan on Monday. The new filings claim Combs was abusive to the victims, who have not been named publicly, at various parties and industry events from 1995 to 2021.

Two of the six lawsuits centre around various “white parties” thrown by Combs, where guests dressed in all white clothing to celebrate the Fourth of July or Labour Day weekend at his home in the Hamptons.

One accuser said he was 16 at the time of a 1998 party, where Combs allegedly asked him to remove his pants and proceeded to touch the victim sexually, the Washington Post reported.

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Combs told the teenager such conduct was a rite of passage for anyone attempting to break into the music industry, the filing states. The man, identified only as John Doe, said he complied out of fear and a hope Combs would help him secure a successful future.

The second White Party allegation comes from a man who said he was hired as security for the event in 2006. The anonymous accuser alleged he was served a drink laced with narcotics. While he was “extremely ill,” the man said Combs raped him in an open van.

In a statement, Combs’ lawyers denied any wrongdoing and said all of the lawsuits are “clear attempts to garner publicity.”

“In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman,” his lawyers wrote.

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The I’ll Be Missing You rapper is expected to be named in more than 100 additional lawsuits, according to lawyers who said their clients’ allegations range from sexual assault and rape to sex trafficking and violent behaviour. The latest lawsuits come from this same pool of filings, led by Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee.

4:06
Attorney representing over 100 alleged victims of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs speaks out

Combs, his various business enterprises, the department store Macy’s and the hotel chain Marriott were named as co-defendants in the six new lawsuits.

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One accuser said she was raped by Combs in 2004 after while filming the reality TV show Making the Band. She said Combs invited her and a friend to an “exclusive” after-party at a Marriott hotel. Upon their arrival, the lawsuit claims one of Combs’ staffers told the two women, “You know what you are here for.”

The unnamed woman said she was 19 when Combs “fondled, molested and ultimately raped” her in the hotel room.

Another accuser said Combs sexually assaulted him at Manhattan’s Macy’s flagship store in 2008. According to the lawsuit, Combs was there to promote his clothing line, Sean John, when he cornered the John Doe in the stockroom with three of his bodyguards in tow. The man, who worked for a rival fashion brand, said Combs forced him to perform oral sex as his staffers watched.

Combs allegedly threatened the man’s life if he were to tell anyone about the assault, the filing states. Other accusers said the same, claiming Combs threatened them.

The fifth lawsuit sees a woman accuse Combs of becoming physically violent and raping her at a party celebrating the release of Notorious B.I.G.’s One More Chance music video at Elks Plaza in New York City in 1995.

Most recently, one accuser said he believed he was served a laced drink at a party thrown by Combs in 2021. The man, who said he is a consultant working in the music industry, alleged Combs brought him to a backroom and raped him while he was impaired.

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Combs has also denied the racketeering, sex trafficking and prostitution charges against him in an ongoing federal investigation.

Last week, the rapper and his lawyers accused federal authorities of leaking the video of Combs’ physical assault against his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, among other information, to the press in an alleged attempt to deprive Combs of a fair jury trial.

Combs is still in custody and has repeatedly been denied bail. He was arrested last month.

Two judges have concluded that Combs would be a danger to the community if he is released. On Friday, an appeals court judge denied Combs’ immediate release from jail while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request. One judge deemed Combs a “serious flight risk.”

2:03
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs makes first court appearance

He is scheduled to stand trial on the federal charges on May 5.

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— With files from The Associated Press

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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.

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6 people accuse Diddy of sexual assault in new lawsuits, including man who was 16 at the time

admin — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 05:58:26 +0000

NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was hit Monday with a new wave of lawsuits accusing him of raping women, sexually assaulting men and molesting a 16-year-old boy. It is the first time he’s been sued by a person alleging they were abused as a minor.

At least six lawsuits were filed against Combs in federal court in Manhattan, adding to a growing list of legal claims against the indicted hip-hop mogul, all of which he has denied. The lawsuits were filed anonymously to protect the identities of the accusers, two by women identified as Jane Does and four by men identified as John Does.

Some of the Does, echoing others who’ve accused Combs in recent months, allege that he used his fame and the promise of potential stardom to entice victims to lavish parties or drug-fueled hangouts where he then assaulted them. Some allege that he beat or drugged them. Others say he threatened to kill them if they didn’t do as he pleased or if they spoke out against him.

The lawsuits describe alleged assaults dating to the mid-1990s, including at Combs’ celebrity-studded white parties in Long Island’s Hamptons, at a party in Brooklyn celebrating Combs’ then-collaborator Biggie Smalls, and even in the storeroom at Macy’s flagship department store in midtown Manhattan.

The plaintiffs in Monday’s lawsuits are part of what their lawyers say is a group of more than 100 accusers who are in the process of taking legal action against Combs following his Sept. 16 federal sex trafficking arrest. Plaintiffs’ lawyer Tony Buzbee announced the planned litigation at an Oct. 1 news conference and posted a 1-800 number for accusers to call.

In a statement, Combs’ lawyers slammed those tactics as “clear attempts to garner publicity,” and said the rapper and his legal team “have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.”

Combs, 54, has pleaded not guilty in his criminal case, which involves allegations he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.

Twice denied bail, the Bad Boy Records founder remains locked up at a Brooklyn federal jail while awaiting trial in May. Two judges have concluded that Combs would be a danger to the community if he is released. On Friday, an appeals court judge denied Combs’ immediate release from jail while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request.

Before Monday’s raft of lawsuits, all of the accusers suing Combs had been adults at the time of their alleged abuse, although a Chicago record producer claimed in a February suit that he had “irrefutable evidence” of Combs sexually abusing minors.

In a lawsuit Monday, a John Doe alleged that Combs fondled his genitals when he was 16 at one of Combs’ white parties in 1998. The man, who now lives in North Carolina, alleges that Combs told him he had “the look” of a star and then abruptly ordered the then-teen to drop his pants.

According to the man’s lawsuit, Combs explained to him that it was a rite of passage to becoming a music star, at one point asking him: “Don’t you want to break into the business?” The man said he complied out of fear, anxiety and a power imbalance he felt with Combs, only realizing later that what he says happened was sexual assault.

Other lawsuits filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan include allegations of rape, forced oral sex and drugging to incapacitate victims.

One of the Jane Does alleges Combs raped her in a locked hotel room in 2004 after he invited her and a friend there for a party, gave them drinks and told them to snort cocaine. The woman, then a college freshman, alleges Combs also forced her friend to perform oral sex on him and threatened their lives if they didn’t comply.

Another Jane Doe alleged Combs violently attacked and raped her in a bathroom in 1995 at a party in Brooklyn for Smalls’ music video, “One More Chance.” Smalls, also known as the Notorious B.I.G., was killed two years later in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.

According to the woman, Combs brought her into the bathroom to talk privately and started kissing her unexpectedly. When she tried pulling away, she alleges, he slammed her head against the wall, causing her to fall to the floor. She said she tried to escape, but Combs hit her again and raped her.

Afterward, according to the woman, Combs nonchalantly adjusted his clothing and told her: “You better not tell anyone about this, or you will disappear.”

The other John Doe lawsuits allege: Combs sexually assaulted a security guard at a 2006 white party after giving him a drugged beverage; forced a man working for a rival fashion brand to perform oral sex on him in the Macy’s stockroom in 2008; and sexually assaulted a man at a party in October 2021.

The latter man, who suspects a drugged beverage left him unable to fight back, recalls multiple men assaulting him and distinctly recalls seeing Combs above him, naked, at one point during the assault, his lawsuit said.

___

Associated Press journalists Andrew Dalton and Jonathan Landrum Jr. in Los Angeles contributed to this report. ___

This story has been corrected to show that the party celebrating Biggie Smalls was in 1995, not 2005, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

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READ: Trump indictment and statement of facts related to hush money payment | CNN Politics

admin — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 02:43:56 +0000

READ: Trump indictment related to hush money payment

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of sexual assault of 6 people, including a minor, in new lawsuits

admin — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:41:50 +0000

Sean “Diddy” Combs faces 6 new sexual assault lawsuits

00:33

NEW YORK – Sean “Diddy” Combs is accused of raping women, sexually assaulting men and molesting a 16-year-old boy in a new wave of lawsuits filed in New York.

At least six lawsuits were filed against the hip-hop mogul in federal court in Manhattan on Monday. They were filed anonymously, two by women identified as Jane Does and four by men identified as John Does.

The accusers are part of what their lawyers say is a group of more than 100 alleged victims who are in the process of taking legal action against Combs in the wake of his sex trafficking arrest last month.

Man claims Diddy molested him when he was 16

One of the John Does, a man living in North Carolina, alleges that Combs fondled his genitals when he was 16 at one of the rapper’s famous white parties in Long Island’s Hamptons in 1998.

The man alleges that during a conversation about possibly breaking into the music industry, Combs abruptly ordered the then-teen to drop his pants.

According to the man’s lawsuit, Combs explained to him that it was a rite of passage to becoming a music star, at one point asking the then-teen: “Don’t you want to break into the business?”

The man said he complied out of fear, anxiety and power imbalance he felt with Combs, only realizing later that what had happened was sexual assault.

Until Monday’s lawsuit, Combs had only been accused in civil cases and his criminal indictment of sexual activity with adults.

Combs’ lawyers released a statement Monday evening calling the recent filings “clear attempts to garner publicity.”

“Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman,” the statement said.

Combs has pleaded not guilty

Combs, 54, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges alleging he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.

Combs’ lawyers have been trying unsuccessfully to get the Bad Boy Records founder freed on bail. He has been held at a federal jail in Brooklyn since his Sept. 16 arrest.

Two judges have concluded that Combs would be a danger to the community if he is released from the Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility that has been plagued by violence and dysfunction for years. At a bail hearing three weeks ago, a judge rejected a $50 million bail package, including home detention and electronic monitoring, after concluding that Combs was a threat to tamper with witnesses and obstruct a continuing investigation.

On Friday, an appeals court judge denied Combs’ immediate release from jail while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals weighs his bail request.

“You better not tell anyone about this”

The other lawsuits filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan include allegations of rape, forced oral sex and drugging to incapacitate victims.

One of the Jane Does suing Combs alleges he raped her in a locked hotel room in 2004 after he invited her and a friend there for a party, gave them drinks and told them to snort cocaine.

The woman, a college freshman at the time, alleges Combs also forced her friend to perform oral sex on him and said he would have them both killed if they didn’t comply with his demands.

The other Jane Doe alleges Combs violently attacked and raped her in a bathroom in 2005 at a party for the late rapper Biggie Smalls’ music video, “One More Chance.”

According to the woman, Combs brought her into the bathroom to talk privately and then started kissing her unexpectedly. When she tried to pull away, she alleges, he slammed her head against the wall, causing her to fall to the floor. The woman said she tried to escape, but Combs hit her again and raped her.

Afterward, according to the woman, Combs nonchalantly adjusted his clothing and told her: “You better not tell anyone about this, or you will disappear.”

In another John Doe lawsuit, a man working as a security guard at Combs’ Hamptons white party in 2006 alleges the star gave him an alcoholic beverage that he came to believe was laced with a drug that made him feel extremely ill. The man alleges that Combs then pushed him into a van, held him down and sexually assaulted him.

In the other lawsuits filed Monday, Combs is accused of forcing a man to perform oral sex on him in the stockroom of Macy’s flagship store in Manhattan’s Herald Square in 2008 and sexually assaulting a man at a party in October 2021. The latter man, who suspects a drugged beverage left him unable to fight back, recalls multiple men assaulting him and distinctly recalls seeing Combs above him, naked, at one point during the assault, his lawsuit said.

“The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity. Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman,” Combs’ attorneys said in a statement.

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Alberta construction group warns homeowners of fake, fear-mongering inspection letter | Globalnews.ca

admin — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 23:30:03 +0000

A residential construction company is warning Albertans to watch out from falling victim to a scam.

According to Building Industry and Land Development Association Alberta (BILD Alberta) — a not-for-profit that represents home builders — several residents in the Edmonton and Calgary areas have received fake letters imitating the association, looking to access people’s homes for an inspection.

“This was more broad than just one individual receiving a letter,” CEO Scott Fash told Global News.

“It was something a bit more widespread, which was even more concerning.”

The letter claims that a hazardous type of insulation, known as urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI), could have been used in their properties.

What is UFFI?

According to Health Canada, UFFI was widely used in the 1970s for insulating and retrofitting industrial, commercial and older residential buildings.

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It’s a low-density foam that has the appearance and consistency of shaving cream, and becomes stiff and self supporting when it dries or cures (hardens).

The insulation has been banned in Canada since 1980, as it was found to release formaldehyde gas during the curing process and afterwards, such as if it gets wet. Formaldehyde can cause cancer.

The fake letter urges residents who received it to call the displayed number immediately.

“Please be aware that failure to comply with this mandatory inspection could result in legal action and may affect your ability to sell or maintain insurance coverage for your home,” the letter read.

“This inspection is not only a legal requirement but also a critical step in safeguarding your health.”

0:31
Alberta RCMP release video of attempted scam hoping to catch suspects

Fear-mongering letter warning

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The fraudulent letter includes logos of the BILD Alberta Association and the Government of Alberta. Last month, BILD Alberta posted a consumer fraud notice on their website.

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“It has come to our attention that fraudulent letters have been circulating, falsely claiming to be from the Government of Alberta and the BILD Alberta Association” the statement read.

“Please be advised that neither BILD Alberta Association nor the Government of Alberta has issued any such notice.”

Fash says sending letters to homeowners is not a task they do, nor do they conduct home inspections as an organization.

“That’s completely absurd, and again, that’s a really easy way if somebody doesn’t understand that and most people wouldn’t,” Fash said.

“Preying on somebody’s home is a really easy way of taking advantage of them. When somebody were to get a letter like that, they’re obviously going to be very concerned.”

The Alberta government has also posted a consumer alert warning, explaining the letter is not endorsed by them.

5:10
Alberta real estate attracting an influx of people

Realtors warned of scam letter

Since then, the information has been forwarded to several realtors across the province.

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Clear Trust Mortgages associate Zachary Yuzyk said homeowners should be skeptical if they receive any notice that pressures them to ‘act fast’ or if there are threats of legal action.

“That wouldn’t be on the homeowner, right? That would be something that you didn’t know about. That would be a material defect you weren’t aware of moving into the property,” Yuzyk explained.

Following a rise in scams on several communications platforms, Yuzyk wants to remind residents to pause and think before acting.

“Everyone knows about the phone scams, everyone knows about the email scams, and now it’s going back to physical mail. I just feel that people think that an official document has more authority,” Yuzyk explained.

“That’s just not the case. It doesn’t matter how it comes — you should always be skeptical.”

Residents who have received this notice are asked not to take any action based on the instructions of the letter and to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

BILD Alberta says if homeowners already contacted the sender, they should file a report with their local police department.

1:52
New grandparent scam using AI technology causing concern

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U.S. charges 4 crypto companies, 14 individuals with fraud – National | Globalnews.ca

admin — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 20:48:49 +0000

Four cryptocurrency companies and 14 individuals have been charged in what U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday called the first criminal prosecution of financial services firms for market manipulation and sham trading in the crypto sector.

Federal prosecutors in Boston charged the firms Gotbit, ZM Quant, CLS Global and MyTrade and their leaders and employees in a case that also involved charges of people overseas. Five people have agreed to plead guilty or have already done so.

Prosecutors accused the defendants of engaging in the crypto equivalent of stock market “pump and dump” schemes that involved sham trades to artificially inflate the trading volume of various cryptocurrency tokens before selling them off.

Prosecutors said the largest of the companies involved in the various schemes, Saitama, at one point came to have a market value of $7.5 billion, after its leadership began manipulating the market for its tokens and secretly selling them.

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Its chief executive, Manpreet Kohli, was arrested on Monday in the United Kingdom. Five other current or former employees were also charged, and three have pleaded guilty.

1:39
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for $8B fraud related to FTX cryptocurrency exchange

Others charged were Aleksei Andiunin, the chief executive of Gotbit, a cryptocurrency “market maker” who lived in Russia and Portugal. He was charged along with two of his company’s employees in Russia and could not be reached for comment.

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Prosecutors said that from 2018 to 2024, Gotbit engaged in a form of market manipulation called “wash trading” on behalf of several cryptocurrency clients, earning tens of millions of dollars at the expense of investors. In wash trading, a financial asset is bought and sold for the express purpose of misleading the market.

Prosecutors cited a 2019 interview Andiunin gave in a YouTube view in which he detailed how his business had developed a code to artificially inflate trading volume for tokens for the purposes of getting them listed on crypto exchanges.

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Three other individuals residing overseas who worked at cryptocurrency “market makers” that prosecutors said advertised market manipulation services to clients were also charged.

They are Liue Zhou, the Chinese founder of MyTrade, who according to court papers has agreed to plead guilty; Baijun Ou of Hong Kong, who worked at ZM Quant, and Andrey Zhorzhes of the United Arab Emirates, an employee of CLS Global.

They could not be immediately reached for comment.

Others charged were Michael Thompson of Virginia, who worked at a cryptocurrency company called VVZZN founded by a former Saitama employee, and Bradley Beatty of Florida, who prosecutors said fraudulently promoted his crypto company, Lillian Finance.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)

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