Judge rules that prosecutor cannot accuse Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs anonymously | How this could impact other cases against music mogul

NEW YORK– A Tennessee woman who alleges in a civil lawsuit that Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted her when she was a 19-year-old college student in Brooklyn cannot pursue her case anonymously, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, ruling that the defense attorney’s arguments woman ‘completely deserving.”

“Simply put, allegations of sexual assault are not, by themselves, sufficient to entitle a plaintiff to sue under a pseudonym,” Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil wrote in the ruling.

The woman alleged that a security guard took her to a private room at a party Combs was hosting, and that the security guard told her, “You know what you’re here for.”

By asking to mask her identity, the woman argued that she could be harmed if her name were published, but the judge was ultimately unconvinced.

“Combs has had no contact with Plaintiff in the approximately twenty years since the alleged rape and Combs is currently incarcerated awaiting trial. As such, counsel has not identified any current threat of bodily harm to Plaintiff,” the decision said.

The judge also said Combs has the right to investigate his accuser and her credibility.

“The Court recognizes that Combs is a public figure and therefore Plaintiff is likely to face public criticism if she acts on her own behalf. The Court is unaware of the potential toll such an investigation could take on any litigant. Avoiding public scrutiny, or even embarrassment, does not outweigh the interests of both Combs and the public in the customary and constitutionally enshrined presumption of openness in judicial proceedings,” the judge said.

This ruling could affect a number of other cases brought by prosecutors who charged Combs under a pseudonym.

The judge noted that other plaintiffs have chosen to use their names in their lawsuits, including Casandra Ventura.

Combs has denied the allegations against him. In a statement Monday, his lawyers walked back the new allegations against him — including one involving the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy — accusing the accuser’s attorney of lacking credibility.

“The attorney behind this lawsuit is more interested in media attention than the truth, as is evident from his continued appearances in the press and his 1-800 number,” the statement said. “As we have said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are ridiculous or demonstrably false on their face.”

Defense attorneys said they and Combs “have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the legal process.”

“In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually abused or trafficked anyone – male or female, adult or minor,” the attorneys said.

Combs, who was arrested last month on sweeping sex trafficking charges, has pleaded not guilty in that case. As part of his defense, Combs’ attorneys have asked the judge to order federal prosecutors to reveal the identities of his accusers.