By Jack Queen and Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A second woman testified on Thursday that Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted her as part of what federal prosecutors allege was a sex trafficking and racketeering scheme masterminded by the hip-hop mogul.
The woman, testifying under the pseudonym Mia, told a jury in Manhattan federal court that she worked for Combs as a personal assistant and director of development and acquisition from 2009 to 2017, starting when she was around 25 years old.
“He’s thrown things at me, he’s thrown me against the wall, he’s thrown me into a pool, he’s thrown an ice bucket on my head, he’s slammed my arm into a door, and he’s sexually assaulted me,” Mia said.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five counts including racketeering and sex trafficking. He faces up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Testimony in the closely watched trial in Manhattan federal court is in its third week. Prosecutors say Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, coerced women over two decades to take part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs.”
Combs’ lawyers have acknowledged that he was at times abusive in domestic relationships, but said the women who participated in Freak Offs did so consensually.
Over four days of emotional testimony during the first week of trial, Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura told jurors Combs physically and emotionally abused her throughout their tumultuous 11-year relationship.
Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known as Cassie, said she participated in the Freak Offs because she feared Combs would release sex tapes of her if she didn’t, but also because she loved him.
Friends and associates of Combs and Ventura have also testified about Combs’ alleged abuse, describing Combs as a domineering figure who relied on bodyguards and associates to enable his alleged crimes and keep victims in line.
Dawn Richard, a former member of the pop group Danity Kane, testified last week that she felt threatened when Combs told her to keep quiet about what she saw.
Richard faced a sharp cross-examination by one of Combs’ lawyers, who sought to point to inconsistencies between her testimony and what she said during interviews with prosecutors.
Last week, Scott Mescudi – the rapper known as Kid Cudi – testified that his car was set on fire in 2012, shortly after Combs learned that Mescudi had a romantic relationship with Ventura.
Prosecutors say the alleged arson of Mescudi’s car was one of several violent or illegal acts that Combs or his associates undertook to prevent women from leaving his orbit and keep his abuse quiet.
The trial has drawn intense media coverage due to Combs’ cultural influence and role in taking hip-hop mainstream through legendary artists like the Notorious B.I.G.
Combs was arrested in Manhattan last September and is being held at a federal prison in Brooklyn when not in court.
(Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Howard Goller)
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