The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has confirmed it is reviewing sexual battery allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs, brought by music publicist Jonathan Hay, who claims Combs sexually battered him during two separate incidents in Los Angeles in 2020 and 2021 [1]. No charges have been filed. The DA's office did not indicate a timeline for a charging decision [1][2].
Combs is currently serving a 50-month federal sentence following his 2025 conviction on Mann Act charges [1]. The Mann Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2421 et seq., prohibits the transportation of individuals across state lines for purposes of prostitution or sexual exploitation. His federal conviction marked the conclusion of an investigation that drew scrutiny from multiple law enforcement agencies and generated civil suits filed across several jurisdictions [2]. The Los Angeles review represents a separate, state-level proceeding, independent of the federal case.
Hay's allegations, if charged, would be prosecuted under California Penal Code provisions governing sexual battery, which can carry felony exposure depending on the circumstances alleged [2]. The Los Angeles County District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, leads the office conducting the review [1]. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are listed among the law enforcement bodies with potential involvement in the matter [1]. California's statute of limitations for felony sexual battery has been extended under recent legislative amendments, meaning incidents alleged to have occurred in 2020 and 2021 would not necessarily be time-barred.
The review adds a new jurisdictional dimension to an already complex legal record for Combs. Civil plaintiffs have filed claims against him in multiple states, and the federal conviction established a predicate record that state prosecutors could reference in presenting character or pattern evidence, depending on applicable evidentiary rules [2]. A state filing in California would require the DA's office to assess the sufficiency of evidence independent of the federal proceedings, and any resulting charges would proceed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The DA's office has not publicly signaled which direction the review is heading. If charges are filed, Combs would face prosecution while incarcerated on the federal sentence, with any state term potentially running consecutively. The next development to watch is a formal charging decision or a declination from Hochman's office.