Sean "Diddy" Combs Sentencing: Essential Information to Understand

The music mogul Sean Combs is set to be sentencing on Friday morning by a US district judge in New York, after his conviction earlier this year on charges related to prostitution.

Here is a recap of his criminal case: what he was indicted for, the trial events, and potential next steps.

What Was He Found Guilty Of?

In July, following a two-month trial, a jury convicted Combs of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was found not guilty of the more severe allegations against him, racketeering conspiracy and human trafficking, which carried the possibility of a life sentence.

The charges on which he was convicted each have a maximum penalty of 10 years. Combs had pleaded not guilty to every count.

The presiding judge, Arun Subramanian, who presided over the trial, will deliver the ruling on the scheduled day, with the hearing due to begin at 10am ET in federal district court in lower Manhattan.

Combs, fifty-five, has been held without bail at the Brooklyn metropolitan detention center since his arrest in the previous September. Since the verdict, the judge has denied two bail requests from Combs’s lawyers, and earlier this week Subramanian also rejected a motion to overturn the convictions.

What Allegations Was Combs Facing?

Government attorneys alleged the Bad Boy Records founder of leveraging his status and resources, and using violence, threats and blackmail, to force two of his former girlfriends into engaging in drug-fueled sexual marathons with male escorts. Such events were often called by the defendant as “hotel nights”, which they said Combs organized, observed, masturbated to and sometimes filmed.

The prosecution asserted that for over twenty years, Combs operated a illegal operation – assisted by staff and allies – to conduct and conceal crimes including sex trafficking, drug distribution, corruption and kidnapping.

Although found guilty on two counts, Combs has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers have maintained that every encounter was mutually agreed and that no illicit organization was present.

What Transpired At Trial?

The prosecution presented more than 30 witnesses, including former partners of Combs – artist Cassie Ventura and another woman who testified using the alias Jane – who described the so-called “freak-offs” in graphic detail, and alleged that Combs coerced and threatened them into participating.

Ventura was the key witness for the prosecution. She stated that during her long-term relationship with Combs, he subjected her to physical, sexual and emotional abuse and to extortion. The jury was shown the 2016 video of Combs assaulting Ventura in a corridor. Jane also testified of a physical confrontation with Combs.

Additional testimony included ex-staff, escorts, law enforcement agents, hotel employees and celebrities including musician Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs did not testify.

Combs’s defense attorneys acknowledged previous incidents of domestic violence, but denied that any force or sex trafficking took place. They argued that every sexual act was consensual and part of a “swingers’ lifestyle”, and argued that Ventura and Jane were willing participants in the encounters.

How Much Time Could He Serve?

Combs’s lawyers have requested the court for a sentence of a maximum of 14 months in jail, which, considering time served, would allow for his release before the end of the year. They claim that Combs has already been “adequately punished” by spending over a year in the “harsh environment” at the detention center.

Federal prosecutors, however, have sought at least 135 months (11 years and three months) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In legal documents, they described Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his history and characteristics show years of abuse and violence.

What Statements Were Made By the Victims?

The government submitted multiple statements from victims to the court ahead of sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“Although the jurors did not seem to grasp or accept that I participated in the events because of the force and coercion the defendant used against me, I know that is the reality, and his punishment should reflect the truth of the evidence and my personal experience as a victim,” Ventura stated.

“I am so fearful that if he is released, his initial steps will be swift retribution towards me and other individuals who testified about his misconduct, at trial,” she wrote.

“If there is one thing I have gained from this experience, it is that those affected will never be safe,” she continued. “I hope that your ruling takes into account the truths at hand that the panel failed to see.”

What Comes After Sentencing?

Following the court's decision, Combs’s attorneys could challenge the decision. Combs’s defense is also expected to contest his conviction.

Additionally, Combs is confronting numerous civil cases alleging of misconduct and further offenses. He has disputed all allegations in those suits.