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Diddy’s arrest video shows him handcuffed in a hotel

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Days after Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested on federal charges of human trafficking, racketeering and transportation of persons for the purpose of prostitution, a video has been released purporting to show his arrest.

In footage released by TMZ on Friday, a man believed to be Combs walks into a hotel lobby with a group of people and is immediately led away by two men. In another scene, four men lead Combs back out the lobby doors with his hands behind his back, apparently handcuffed.

The incident occurred Monday at the Park Hyatt New York, where Combs had been staying for more than a week after traveling to New York to, as his lawyers called it, “surrender” to authorities.

USA TODAY has contacted Combs’ attorneys for comment on the video.

The morning after his arrest, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday unsealed a 14-page federal grand jury indictment that reveals an extensive and ongoing federal investigation into the hip-hop icon. Investigators say the 54-year-old extensively attempted to use his finances and status in the entertainment industry to “gratify his sexual desires” in a “recurring and well-known” pattern of abuse.

During his arraignment on Tuesday, Combs pleaded not guilty to the three criminal charges. While awaiting trial, Combs is being held in solitary confinement in the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a facility that has made headlines for its poor conditions for inmates.

Amid a flood of civil lawsuits filed against him by alleged victims over three decades of misconduct allegations, Combs has maintained his innocence.

Why Judges Refused to Grant Diddy Bail

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter on Wednesday, Combs’ attorneys requested that Combs be released from jail on a $50 million bond, secured by the equity in his and his mother’s Florida home, on the grounds that he had made himself available for government custody. The letter also noted that Combs, his daughters and his mother had surrendered their passports to his attorney.

However, two different judges this week denied Combs’ requests to be released on bail. The first judge, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky, agreed with U.S. prosecutors’ argument that Combs posed a risk if released to house arrest.

“I do not believe that attorney has the authority to control you given the very serious concerns that I have, particularly with substance abuse and what appears to be anger issues,” Tarnofsky told Combs and his attorney, according to a court record seen by USA TODAY.

“The danger, I think, is quite significant,” she added of Combs’ release, concluding that the bail package his team offered him “would not guarantee his return to court or the safety of the community, or that there would be no witness tampering.”

Why the allegations are ‘very serious’: Legal experts explain the charges Diddy faces

Evidence against Diddy includes videos of ‘freak-offs’ and dozens of witnesses

In a Sept. 17 letter to the judge arguing for Combs to be jailed until he appears in court, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams claims his office has “the testimony of dozens of witnesses and victims of his serial abuse, as well as evidence from dozens of his own electronic devices and those of his accomplices.”

Investigators seized more than 90 cellphones, laptops, cloud storage accounts and at least 30 storage devices. They issued more than 300 grand jury subpoenas to obtain this evidence from communications providers, technology and social media companies, financial institutions and Combs’ companies.

“Dozens of victims and witnesses have provided detailed, credible, and corroborated information against the defendant. These individuals include many who personally experienced and witnessed violence and other crimes committed by the defendant,” Williams wrote. These witnesses have financial, travel, and communications records to support their testimonies, he said.

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Will Fans Mute Diddy? Rapper Currently In Federal Custody

As more details emerge about the allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, some are wondering if it is possible to silence the rapper.

Prosecutors say there are “dozens” of videos in possession of Combs’ so-called “freak-offs” — sometimes days-long sexual performances between sex workers and people he allegedly coerced into participating through drugs and intimidation — that corroborate witness statements.

Combs’ indictment alleges that Homeland Security Investigations agents obtained drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that were allegedly used in Combs’ “freak offs” during the March 25 raids on Combs’ homes. Multiple AR-15 rifles and high-capacity magazines were also allegedly discovered.

Combs’ attorneys have vowed to appeal the district court’s denials to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. His next hearing is Oct. 9.

If you are a victim of sexual abuse, RAIN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org in Spanish RAINN.org/es.