**Sean Combs** Found Guilty on Prostitution Charges
After a gripping seven-week trial in New York, music mogul **Sean “Diddy” Combs** has been acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking, but was convicted on charges related to prostitution. The verdict follows intense scrutiny of his conduct.
Jury Reaches Verdict
After deliberating for 13 hours over three days, the jury found **Combs**, 55, guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
According to court reports, **Combs** appeared relieved as the verdict was delivered, smiling and thanking the jury members as they departed the courtroom.
Judge **Arun Subramanian** expressed his gratitude to the jury, stating, “You listened, you worked together, you were here every day, rain or shine… You did so with no reward, other than the reward that comes from answering the call of public service.”
Details of the Trial
Prosecutors had presented **Combs** as the leader of a criminal enterprise spanning decades, allegedly instructing employees and bodyguards to commit various crimes. These alleged offenses included forced labor, drug distribution, kidnapping, bribery, witness tampering, obstruction, and arson.
To convict **Combs** of racketeering, jurors needed to determine the existence of a criminal organization and find that it committed at least two of the alleged offenses. Jurors initially reported a deadlock on the racketeering charge Tuesday, but Judge **Arun Subramanian** instructed them to continue deliberations.
Accusations and Defense
**Combs** was specifically charged with sex trafficking involving two women: singer **Casandra Ventura**, also known as **Cassie**, and another woman identified as **Jane**, who testified anonymously. Both women described disturbing experiences of abuse, threats, and coercive sex.
They claimed they felt compelled to participate in sexual encounters directed by **Combs** with hired individuals. However, **Combs**’s legal team asserted that the sexual activity was consensual. They acknowledged instances of domestic violence within his relationships, including security footage showing him assaulting and dragging **Ventura**, but argued that these acts did not constitute sex trafficking.
Prosecutor **Maurene Comey** criticized **Combs**’s defense, stating, “In his mind he was untouchable… The defendant never thought that the women he abused would have the courage to speak out loud about what he had done to them.”
Interestingly, domestic violence cases have seen an increase in reporting in recent years, with a 12% rise in reported incidents to law enforcement in 2020 compared to the previous year (CDC, 2021).
