Pakistan, Oct. 3 -- A U.S. judge on Tuesday denied Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attempt to reverse his criminal conviction related to felony prostitution charges, following prosecutors' recommendation that the hip-hop executive serve over 11 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, based in Manhattan, determined there was 'overwhelming evidence of Combs' guilt' concerning his conduct towards two ex-partners: rhythm and blues artist Casandra Ventura and a woman identified in court as Jane.
Prosecutors claimed that Sean "Diddy" Combs organized for male sex workers to cross state lines to participate in drug-infused sexual events called Freak Offs with his female partners, as he observed, filmed the acts, and engaged in self-pleasure.
Ventura and Jane stated that Combs physically assaulted them and warned they would lose financial support if they refused to perform. "The government established its case repeatedly," the judge noted. Subramanian also dismissed claims that evidence used for the more severe racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, on which Combs was found not guilty, influenced the prostitution case.
Attorneys representing Combs did not promptly provide statements when contacted. A representative from US Attorney Jay Clayton's office in Manhattan also did not immediately respond to comparable inquiries. Combs, aged 55, was convicted by a Manhattan jury on July 2 on two charges related to facilitating prostitution, after an eight-week trial. He had denied all accusations and is anticipated to challenge his verdict on appeal.
Prosecutors requested that Subramanian impose a prison term of 11 and a quarter years on Combs during the scheduled sentencing on October 3.
Defense attorneys requested a maximum of 14 months, which, if approved, might lead to Combs' release this year as he would receive credit for the time he has already spent at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest on September 16, 2024.
However, in seeking a 135-month sentence, prosecutors referenced evidence presented during the trial indicating that Combs led a different life away from the public spotlight, physically assaulting his girlfriends and administering them illegal drugs. "The defendant attempts to reframe decades of abuse as merely the result of toxic relationships," prosecutors stated. "But there is nothing mutual in a relationship where one individual holds all the power while the other is left injured and harmed." In a letter addressed to the judge, Ventura, who goes by the name Cassie, claimed that Combs used violence, threats, and drugs to "trap" her into participating in Freak Offs, beginning when she was 19.
Engaging in sexual acts became my full-time occupation," Ventura wrote. "His control over me weakened my independence and self-awareness until I felt I had no alternative but to comply.
Subramanian dismissed Combs' claims that the prostitution charges under the Mann Act should be dismissed, as Combs had no financial incentive and did not partake in sexual activities for which he paid.
The judge stated that it was sufficient that Combs transported companions who were financially driven and aimed at them participating in prostitution.
He further stated that making Combs required to have participated in the sexual act would nearly eliminate prostitution, protecting brothel owners from being charged.
Subramanian also stated that a conviction did not infringe upon Combs' First Amendment constitutional rights as "an amateur pornographer and consumer of pornography," and that the behavior did not become lawful simply because he recorded the sexual performances.
Although Combs acknowledges that the Mann Act has changed since it was enacted in 1910, his actions fall at the core of the Act's valid restrictions. It is therefore not surprising that his conviction does not present a constitutional issue.
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