Nearly three months after his trial concluded, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is scheduled to receive his sentencing this week.
The 55-year-old former music icon was apprehended in the lobby of Manhattan’s Park Hyatt hotel last September.
In May, he appeared in court to address allegations spanning over thirty years.
The charges against Diddy included sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, as well as racketeering and transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution.
Allegations suggested that Diddy and his associates would intimidate victims, using video recordings or physical threats to ensure their silence.
These accusations included his infamous ‘freak-off’ parties, where he would reportedly observe participants, often involving sex workers, in sexual activities.
This summer, some male sex workers also provided testimony.
After seven weeks, the significant trial concluded with the jury delivering its verdict.
Diddy was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Transportation to engage in prostitution is a federal crime in the US under the Mann Act.
This law prohibits knowingly moving someone across state or international boundaries for prostitution or other illicit sexual activities.
The law applies even if the individual being transported consents, with each act of transportation being a separate charge.
Diddy was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Under the Mann Act, each transportation charge can lead to a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Thus, Diddy faces the possibility of up to 20 years in prison.
Diddy and his legal team are working on appealing his convictions.
His lawyers are advocating for a sentence no longer than 14 months, which would likely lead to his release soon, given his over a year of detention in federal custody.
They argue that he has already been sufficiently ‘punished’ as the court case has severely impacted his career, reputation, and legacy.
Diddy’s defense has recently claimed that his conviction under the Mann Act was unjust, arguing that its application in this case is ‘unprecedented,’ according to the BBC.
They contend that the Mann Act typically applies to situations where someone pays for sex, while Diddy supposedly did not engage directly but acted as an observer, watching ‘freak offs’ involving partners and sex workers.
Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro likened his actions to producing and watching amateur pornography, rather than engaging in prostitution.
The judge repeatedly questioned the defense on how voyeurism negates the transportation-for-prostitution charges.
They maintain that he had ‘no commercial motive’ and accused the prosecution of having ‘lost all perspective’ by seeking a sentence they deem ‘wildly out of proportion.’
The rapper is scheduled to return to court this week, on Friday (October 3), for his sentencing.
Despite the potential for a sentence of up to 20 years, it is anticipated that Diddy’s actual sentence will be shorter.
Prosecutors have suggested a sentence of at least four to five years following the trial, as reported by Sky News.
Since his arrest last September, the rapper has already served just over a year in federal custody.