NEW YORK (Reuters) – Jury selection got underway on Monday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’  sex trafficking trial, which offers the hip-hop mogul the chance to challenge allegations against him but could see him sent to prison for life.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

He arrived in court from the federal lockup in Brooklyn where he is being held shortly after 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), wearing dark glasses and a dark sweater over a white shirt. He smiled and hugged his attorneys upon entering U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian’s courtroom.

About an hour later, Subramanian welcomed a group of prospective jurors to his courtroom and gave introductory remarks.

“This is a criminal case entitled United States of America vs. Sean Combs,” Subramanian said.

The judge will shortly begin questioning jurors about themselves one-by-one, a process known as voir dire, in a bid to seat a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates who can be fair and impartial despite heavy media coverage of the case so far.

The jury will be anonymous, which is frequently the case in high-profile trials in which jurors could face threats or harassment if their identities are known.

Over the course of a two-month trial, prosecutors are expected to argue that Combs used his business empire to coerce women into taking part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers, which the mogul called “Freak Offs.”

Combs’ lawyers say the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual and are expected to try to undermine the credibility of the four alleged victims expected to testify against him. In a hearing last month, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said there was nothing criminal about a “swingers” lifestyle in which Combs and his girlfriends sometimes brought a third person into their relationships.

Combs has also denied abuse allegations in more than 50 civil lawsuits filed against him starting in November 2023 when his romantic partner of 10 years, the R&B singer Casandra Ventura, filed a bombshell lawsuit accusing him of sex trafficking. The case settled for an undisclosed amount of money.

The accusations dealt a swift and severe blow to the one-time billionaire’s reputation. Once known for elevating hip-hop in American culture and hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, Combs is the latest powerful man in the entertainment industry to be accused of sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement encouraged women to speak up about abuse.

His rags-to-riches life story saw the New York City native move from an upbringing by a single mother to living in mansions in Los Angeles and Miami. But last year, Combs returned a symbolic key to his hometown at the behest of Mayor Eric Adams, and since September he has been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, about an hour by subway from the Harlem neighborhood where he was born.

Combs Could Face Life in Prison

Opening statements are scheduled for May 12.

Hundreds of prospective jurors have already filled out questionnaires designed to elicit any bias they may have about the case. Combs’ defense lawyers and prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office agreed on about 150 who could proceed to in-person questioning by the judge, known as voir dire.

Subramanian said in a May 1 hearing that the goal of voir dire will be to choose 45 potential jurors who are qualified to serve, and lawyers for both sides will then have the opportunity to dismiss jurors without stating a reason, known as peremptory strikes.

Any jury verdict must be unanimous.

If convicted on all counts, Combs faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and could face life in prison, though any sentence would be imposed by Subramanian at a later date.

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(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Alistair Bell)