Diddy Convicted Of Prostitution Charge, Acquitted Of Other Major Charges

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Rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been convicted of illegal prostitution but acquitted of more serious sex-trafficking and racketeering charges. Judge Arun Subramanian has denied Combs bail—he’ll remain in prison until sentencing.

On Wednesday, 2 July, Combs was convicted of two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. The jury in a New York federal court deliberated for two days before concluding that he was guilty of the charges.

While he was convicted of the prostitution charges, the jury revealed that they weren’t convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Combs was guilty of sex trafficking or that he operated a criminal enterprise to meet the racketeering allegations.

According to Billboard, the verdict marked a win for Combs, as he would have faced a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison or a maximum term of life imprisonment if found guilty of all charges. By only being convicted on the prostitution charges, there is no mandatory minimum sentence he could face, and the maximum sentence is 20 years.

Throughout a seven-week trial, Combs was accused of using his successful music career to operate a “criminal syndicate,” alleging that he and his associates committed crimes such as kidnapping, bribery, drug-dealing, and arson.

The jury also heard testimony that Combs was allegedly violent and threatened his musician ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and an anonymous woman known as “Jane” to participate in “freak-offs,” which the prosecution described as sex trafficking.

Combs didn’t testify in the trial, nor did the defence place a witness on the stand. Instead, his legal team pursued a rigorous cross-examination strategy.

A follow-up hearing on the sentencing has been set for Tuesday, 8 July. Judge Subramanian has tentatively scheduled the sentencing for Friday, 3 October, and noted that the ten months Combs has already spent in prison will go towards his final sentence.

Last September, Combs was arrested and accused of sexual abuse, as well as running a “racketeering conspiracy that included sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson and bribery.” Manhattan federal prosecutors accused Combs of operating a criminal enterprise that outlined his “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.”

In March 2024, Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes were raided by federal agents as they investigated allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. Last year also saw shocking footage of Combs allegedly physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend, musician Cassie Ventura, surface online. The video's release matched Ventura’s allegations in the lawsuit she filed against Combs in November 2023.