Tony Buzbee press conference today: Houston attorney says 9-year-old is among 120 victims suing Sean “Diddy” Combs for assault

HOUSTON (KTRK) – High-profile Houston attorney Tony Buzbee is reviewing assault allegations made by more than 3,800 people across the U.S. against hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Combs, 54, was arrested by federal agents on September 16 and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on charges of sex trafficking, solicitation of prostitution and racketeering.

Buzbee plans to begin filing civil lawsuits against Combs for violence, sexual assault or rape, sexual abuse, facilitated sex with a controlled substance, false imprisonment, forced prostitution, sexual misconduct, distribution of video recordings and sexual abuse of minors.

So far, Buzbee said he has reviewed the allegations of 120 people and accepted them as customers. Buzbee says that of the clients he has taken on, exactly half are men and the other half are women.

RELATED: Attorney says 120 accusers accuse Sean Combs of sexual misconduct

He said 62% identify as African American and 30% are white. Twenty-five of his clients told the lawyer they were minors when they became victims.

He said some of the customers are from Houston.

The alleged assaults took place over the past 25 years, but Buzbee said most have happened since 2015.

Buzbee said they received pictures, videos and texts from the customers who accepted them to corroborate their stories. Some of them have already spoken to the FBI, and he said others would continue based on their comfort level.

He said his office has received more than 3,200 calls from people claiming to be victims. They are working to verify these claims. They now employ a former Houston police detective to help them.

The alleged attacks are said to have taken place primarily in Manhattan, the Hamptons, Los Angeles and Miami.

“Most of these events and incidents occurred at parties, typically after-parties or album release parties, New Year’s Eve parties, Fourth of July parties, so-called puppy parties or white parties,” Buzbee said during a press conference.

Of his clients, Buzbee said drugs played a role in 90 percent of their assaults. He said one drug they had seen several times was xylazine, which is used to sedate horses.

“Typically the victim is lured into a situation where they are given something to drink,” Buzbee explained. “There is usually something mixed in the drink reported by these victims. As soon as the drink takes effect, the perpetrators carry out all sorts of sexual acts on the victims. Often they will pass him or her around while other people watch and enjoy the show, and then leave.”

If they refused to drink the drink, customers told Buzbee they were banned from the parties.

Clients reported that when subsequently contacted they were told not to say anything and were sometimes threatened with physical or financial harm.

“Another individual, 26 years old at the time of the incident, was allegedly picked up from the airport by Mr. Combs and several other individuals in a black SUV, given a drink in the SUV, and then literally woke up the next day without knowing it . “which had happened, but with pain and damage to both her vagina and anus,” Buzbee explained.

He said in other cases, the alleged assaults occurred at auditions or in the studio.

“People who wanted to get into the industry were forced into this kind of behavior with the promise of becoming a star, or with the promise that Sean Combs would listen to their tape or even have it read to Sean Combs,” said Buzbee.

Buzbee’s youngest client said he was 9 years old when he was sexually abused by Combs.

“This individual was allegedly sexually abused by Sean Combs and several other people in the studio when he promised his parents and himself that he would get a record deal,” Buzbee said.

In addition to accusing Combs of being involved in the attacks, Buzbee said a number of other high-profile individuals, banks, hotels and pharmaceutical companies were listed as defendants.

He said the corporations were paid in cash.

He said they plan to prosecute people who participated in the behavior, observed it and did nothing to prevent it or enabled it, as well as anyone who helped cover it up. He said these individuals and organizations would “shock you.”

“The day will come when we will call names other than Sean Combs, and there are many names,” Buzbee said. “The list is already long.”

Buzbee plans to begin filing the lawsuits in the next 30 days. He said it won’t be a class action lawsuit. Each case is filed individually, primarily in New York and California.

Combs’ attorney, Erica Wolff, issued a statement to ABC13 following the press conference, saying, “As Mr. Combs’ legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every unfounded allegation in what has become a ruthless media circus.” that is, Mr. Combs strongly and categorically denies any allegation that he has sexually abused anyone, including minors, and that he looks forward to proving his innocence and justifying himself in court where the truth will be heard be determined on the basis of evidence and not speculation.