Diddy arrested: Latest news on Sean Combs' arrest in New York City

Controversial hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been arrested in New York City on unresolved federal charges, federal authorities told BBC's U.S. partner CBS.

The arrest in Manhattan came in March after raids on two properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of an “ongoing investigation” by authorities into sex trafficking.

Mr Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said they were “disappointed” by the arrest and that his client was an “innocent man”.

A number of allegations have been made against the musician, including sexual harassment and abuse, including by his ex-partner Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. He denies all allegations against him.

My arrest is in connection with an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, multiple law enforcement sources told CBS.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams confirmed the arrest in a statement Monday evening.

“Tonight, federal agents arrested Sean Combs on a sealed indictment from the SDNY,” the prosecutor said.

He says the office plans to release the charges Tuesday morning and “we will have more to say at that time.”

Combs is facing several civil lawsuits, including allegations of raping an underage girl and attempting to “pimp” a producer and force her to have sex with another man.

My attorney said Monday night that Mr. Combs was looking forward to “clearing his name for the court.”

“We are disappointed by the decision to continue with what we believe to be unjustified proceedings,” Mr Agnifilo said in a written statement to the BBC.

“Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a music icon, a self-made entrepreneur, a loving family man and a proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and advocating for the advancement of the black community.”

The rapper's legal troubles will begin in November 2023, when Ms. Ventura files her lawsuit.

That same week, two elderly women filed lawsuits alleging abuse and assault, one of whom claims Mr. Combs choked her so long that she passed out.

He currently denies all allegations and a spokesman for the rapper described the lawsuits as a “money-making scheme.”

In December, a civil lawsuit alleged that a woman aged 17 was a victim of sex trafficking by Mr Combs and two other men.

In February of this year, new allegations were made in a civil lawsuit against former producer Rodney Jones Jr., alleging that Mr. Combs made unwanted sexual advances and attempted to “persuade” me to have sex with Odas.

Mr Combs denies the allegations, but a month later his property was searched. They stopped the musician at Miami airport as he was preparing to travel to the Bahamas and handed over his electronics to the authorities.

Many of these lawsuits are filed just before the statute of limitations expires under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily allows victims of sexual abuse to file claims even after the statute of limitations has expired.

Surveillance video obtained by CNN in May shows the rap mogul attacking and hitting Ms Ventura while filing a civil lawsuit against her.

Mr. Combs – also known as Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love and Brother Love – is one of the most successful rap moguls.