Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted Wednesday of a prostitution-related felony in federal court in New York but acquitted of the far more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
After a seven-week trial, he was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The hip-hop mogul raised his hands in prayer after the verdict was read, looked at the jury, and hugged one of his defence attorneys.
Judge to decide on Combs’ bail
Immediately following the verdict, Combs’ lawyer requested that the judge release him on bail.
“He has been acquitted of very, very serious charges. He has been convicted of a far less serious charge,” defence attorney Marc Agnifilo said.
Prosecutors, however, argued that he should remain in custody pending sentencing.
Combs faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each of the two prostitution counts. He has been held in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian adjourned the court for several hours to consider the arguments.
What were the accusations against Combs?
During the trial in New York, prosecutors accused Combs of using his power and wealth to operate a criminal enterprise that sexually exploited women over two decades.
Two of his former girlfriends, Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym “Jane,” told the court that he physically and sexually abused them.
They both said they felt pressured to participate in drug-fueled, days-long sexual encounters, sometimes referred to as “Freak Offs,” with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated, and occasionally filmed.
Prosecutors alleged that Combs used violence, threats, and financial coercion to force women into paid sex acts, which they argued constituted sex trafficking.
Jurors were also shown 2016 surveillance footage of Combs kicking and dragging Ventura.
What did the defence say?
Combs, once one of the most powerful figures in the music industry, vehemently denied all charges.
His attorneys acknowledged that he had been abusive at times in his domestic relationships.
The defense argued that the women had voluntarily participated in the sexual activities described by prosecutors, which they claimed were consensual. They maintained that there was nothing illegal about his “swinger” lifestyle.
Reaction to the verdict
The jury, composed of eight men and four women, deliberated for approximately thirteen and a half hours over three days before delivering their verdict.
The three-time Grammy award winner was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, but cleared of the more serious charges, which could have carried a sentence of up to life in prison.
After the judge adjourned the court, Combs appeared overwhelmed. He wiped his face, knelt at his chair, and bowed his head in prayer. The audience, made up of his relatives, stood and applauded as he turned to face them. (DW)
