Sean "Diddy" Combs Sentencing: Essential Information to Know

The music mogul Sean Combs is due to receive his sentence on Friday morning by a US district judge in New York, following 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?

During July, after an eight-week trial, a jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was found not guilty of the most serious charges against him, racketeering conspiracy and human trafficking, which could have resulted in the possibility of a life sentence.

The charges on which he was found guilty each have a maximum penalty of a decade. Combs had entered a not guilty plea to all of the charges.

Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over the trial, will deliver the ruling on the scheduled day, with the court session set to start at 10am ET in a federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan.

Combs, fifty-five, has been detained without bond at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in September last year. Since the decision, the judge has rejected two bail requests from Combs’s lawyers, and recently Subramanian also denied a motion to overturn the convictions.

What Was Combs Accused Of?

Government attorneys alleged the Bad Boy Records founder of leveraging his status and resources, and employing intimidation and coercion, to force two of his former girlfriends into engaging in drug-fueled sexual marathons with male escorts. Such sessions were often referred to by the accused as “hotel nights”, which they said Combs orchestrated, observed, masturbated to and sometimes filmed.

The prosecution asserted that for more than two decades, Combs operated a illegal operation – aided by staff and allies – to conduct and hide offenses including sex trafficking, drug dealing, bribery and abduction.

Despite being convicted on two counts, Combs has denied any misconduct. His attorneys have insisted that every encounter was consensual and that no criminal enterprise existed.

What Happened At Trial?

The government's case presented more than 30 witnesses, including two of Combs’s former girlfriends – singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a second individual who testified using the alias Jane – who described the so-called “freak-offs” in graphic detail, and claimed that Combs pressured and intimidated them into taking part.

Ventura was the key witness for the prosecution. She testified that during her 11-year, on-off relationship with Combs, he exposed her to physical, sexual and emotional abuse and to blackmail. The court was presented with the 2016 hotel surveillance footage of Combs attacking Ventura in a hallway. Jane also testified of a physical confrontation with Combs.

Additional testimony included former employees, escorts, law enforcement agents, hotel employees and celebrities including rapper Kid Cudi and singer Dawn Richard. Combs chose not to take the stand.

Combs’s defense attorneys admitted past instances of abuse, but disputed that any force or sex trafficking occurred. They maintained that all sexual activity was consensual and part of a “alternative lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were consenting adults in the sex acts.

What Sentence Could He Serve?

Combs’s attorneys have asked the court for a penalty of a maximum of 14 months in prison, which, considering time served, would permit his release by year's end. They claim that Combs has already been “sufficiently penalized” by serving 13 months in the “terrible conditions” at the facility.

Federal prosecutors, however, have sought a minimum of 135 months (over a decade) and a $500,000 fine. In court filings, they described Combs as “showing no remorse” and said that “his history and characteristics show a pattern of misconduct.

What Was Said In Victim Impact Statements?

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

“Although the jurors did not seem to grasp or accept that I engaged in freak-offs because of the force and coercion the defendant used against me, I know that is the reality, and his sentence should reflect the reality of the evidence and my personal experience as a victim,” Ventura wrote.

“I am so scared that if he is released, his initial steps will be immediate revenge towards me and other individuals who spoke up about his abuse, at court,” she said.

“If there is one thing I have learned from this ordeal, it is that those affected will never be safe,” she continued. “I hope that your ruling considers the facts at hand that the panel failed to see.”

What Comes Next?

Following the court's decision, Combs’s legal team could appeal against the sentence. Combs’s defense is also likely to appeal his verdict.

Separately, Combs is confronting numerous civil cases alleging of misconduct and further offenses. He has denied all allegations in those proceedings.