- COMBS subjected victims to physical, emotional, and verbal abuse to cause the victims to engage in Freak Offs. COMBS maintained control over his victims through, among other things, physical violence, promises of career opportunities, granting and threatening to withhold financial support, and by other coercive means, including tracking their whereabouts, dictating the victims’ appearance, monitoring their medical records, controlling their housing, and supplying them with controlled substances. During and separate from Freak Offs, COMBS, among other things, hit, kicked, threw objects at, and dragged victims, at times, by their hair. These assaults often resulted in injuries that took days or weeks to heal. COMBS also threatened victims’ careers and livelihoods, including if they resisted participating in Freak Offs. Victims believed they could not refuse COMBS’ demands without risking their financial or job security or without repercussions in the form of physical or emotional abuse. COMBS also used the sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings that he made during Freak Offs as collateral to ensure the continued obedience and silence of the victims.
- COMBS, and other members and associates of the Combs Enterprise, wielded the power and prestige of COMBS’ role at the Combs Business to intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims into COMBS’ orbit, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship. COMBS then used force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers that COMBS referred to as, among other things, “Freak Offs.” Freak Offs were elaborate and produced sex performances that COMBS arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded. In arranging these Freak Offs, COMBS, with the assistance of members and associates of the Combs Enterprise, transported, and caused to be transported, commercial sex workers across state lines and internationally. Freak Offs occurred regularly, sometimes lasted multiple days, and often involved multiple commercial sex workers. During Freak Offs, COMBS distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant. Sometimes unbeknownst to the victims, COMBS kept videos he filmed of victims engaging in sex acts with commercial sex workers. After Freak Offs, COMBS and the victims typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use.