Sean “Diddy” Combs’
lawyers spent a half-hour on Tuesday putting on their defense
case at their client’s sex trafficking trial, paving the way for
jurors to hear final arguments before weighing the hip-hop
mogul’s fate.
The defense included showing jurors text messages in which
one of Combs’ accusers, rhythm and blues singer Casandra
Ventura, said she loved him and suggested she enjoyed
participating in sexual performances known as “Freak Offs.”
Federal prosecutors rested their case against Combs earlier
in the day, after more than six weeks of testimony.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of
racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to
engage in prostitution. He decided not to testify.
Defendants in U.S. criminal cases are not required to
present evidence, and judges instruct juries not to hold a
refusal to testify against defendants. To win a guilty verdict,
prosecutors must prove their cases beyond a reasonable doubt.
The government’s case against Combs included accusations
that the Bad Boy Records founder forced two former girlfriends
into sexual performances with male sex workers while he watched,
masturbated and sometimes filmed.
Witnesses included the former girlfriends Ventura, known as
Cassie, and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane.
Over several days of testimony, both said Combs beat them,
threatened to cut off financial support, and threatened to leak
sex tapes.
Combs’ lawyers have acknowledged that their client was
occasionally violent in domestic relationships, but argued the
“Freak Offs” were consensual.
On Tuesday, defense lawyer Anna Estevao read jurors several
messages, ranging from tender to sexually explicit, that Ventura
sent Combs during their decade-long relationship.
In one message from 2012, Ventura wrote Combs, “Besides
making love, talking to you is my favorite thing.”
Five years later, Ventura told Combs in a series of messages
that she missed him, asked him to send a picture of his
genitals, and pledged to “be your little freak.”
Outside the jury’s presence, Estevao told the court the
messages showed Combs believed the “Freak Offs” were consensual.
“That she’s telling Mr. Combs that she will be his little
freak is probative as to his state of mind as to whether or not
she was willing to engage in this kind of sexual activity,”
Estevao said.
One prosecution witness, forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes,
had told jurors that victims of sexual violence often develop
“trauma bonds” with their partners, making it difficult to leave
abusive relationships.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who has overseen the
trial in Manhattan federal court, is expected on Wednesday to
meet with lawyers to discuss jury instructions.
Closing arguments are expected to begin on Thursday, and the
jury may not begin deliberating until late Friday or Monday.
If convicted on all five counts, Combs faces a mandatory<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sean “Diddy” Combs’lawyers spent a half-hour on Tuesday putting on their defensecase at their client’s sex trafficking trial, paving the way forjurors to hear final arguments before weighing the hip-hopmogul’s fate.The defense included showing jurors text messages in whichone of Combs’ accusers, rhythm and blues singer CasandraVentura, said she loved him and suggested she enjoyedparticipating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n