Hip hop superstar Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested late Monday after a federal grand jury indicted him on a series of charges including racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Originally appeared on E! Online
Sean "Diddy" Combs is getting hooked up with a computer as he awaits trial on sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
The rapper — who remains locked up at Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center after being denied bail multiple times — has been issued a laptop on which he can review documents pertaining to his criminal case, according to a court order obtained by E! News.
"The MDC is ordered to give Defendant access to the Discovery Laptop seven days per week from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM," a decree signed by Judge Arun Subramanian Dec. 12 read. "This can be in his unit's visiting room or in his unit's VTC room."
However, the judge set out that the purpose of the laptop is "not to take or store notes."
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"It is the Court's understanding that the laptop has been pre-loaded with discovery materials," Subramanian continued, "but does not allow any functionality beyond reviewing those materials."
READ: Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Accused of Organizing "Relentless" Campaign to Blackmail Witnesses From Prison
If Combs "wishes for broader access" on his laptop, Subramanian said the 55-year-old and his legal team will need to discuss it with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and "consider any reasonable proposals in good faith."
"If there are further disputes, the Court will consider adjustments to this order," Subramanian — who was assigned to the case in October — added, noting that any proposals "should be mindful" of the materials stored on the laptop and that Combs is "not isolated in his unit."
The court order comes after the prosecution in Combs' criminal case accused him of attempting to "blackmail victims and witnesses either into silence or providing testimony helpful to his defense" from behind bars.
In a Nov. 15 motion obtained by E! News, prosecutors alleged Combs had been using telephone access codes belonging to other inmates to make calls to individuals who are not on his approved contact list.
They also accused Combs of launching an alleged social media campaign around his birthday "with the intention of influencing the potential jury in this criminal proceeding."
Combs' attorney Alexandra Shapiro has since responded to the witness tampering allegations, saying that the rap mogul is "drowning in a sea of negative publicity" and that his social media posts fall under his First Amendment rights.
Furthermore, Combs continues to deny any wrongdoing in regards to his criminal charges, to which he's pleaded not guilty.
His trial is scheduled to start in May 2025.
