Police search Sean 'Diddy' Combs' properties as part of sex ...

New York: Two properties belonging to rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs’ in Los Angeles and Miami were searched on Monday by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement as part of an ongoing sex-trafficking investigation, two law enforcement officials have told The Associated Press.

The officials said the searches were connected to a sex-trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York. It’s not clear whether Combs was the target of the investigation. The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”

A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs in recent months. Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.

In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley has said of those allegations that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies”.

Music mogul and entrepreneur Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas in 2022.Credit: AP

Combs had said in a November statement: “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”

Combs is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities attached to his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.