BREAKING: At Last, Sean Diddy Combs Cleared Of Sex Trafficking After Convicted On Lesser Charge
The Genius Media Nigeria reports that Popular Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was cleared Wednesday of the most serious federal charges against him, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, following an eight-week trial in Manhattan.
However, the jury convicted him on two felony counts of transporting individuals for prostitution, offences that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years under the federal Mann Act.
The verdict — delivered by a racially diverse jury of eight men and four women after more than 13 hours of deliberation — marks a partial victory for the 55-year-old hip-hop executive, who faced the possibility of life imprisonment had he been found guilty on all counts, the New York Times reports.
Combs, who has pleaded not guilty throughout the proceedings, was accused by prosecutors of leading a criminal enterprise that used “power, violence, and fear” to manipulate women into unwanted sex acts with hired male prostitutes.
The government alleged that Combs, aided by complicit employees, exerted financial and psychological control over the victims, often recording the encounters for his personal gratification.
Despite those allegations, jurors found no evidence to support the charges of sex trafficking or racketeering conspiracy, clearing Combs of what would have been the most damning convictions.
The two guilty verdicts stemmed from separate incidents involving a woman identified only as “Jane” and another involving singer Casandra Ventura.
In both cases, Combs was found guilty of arranging and funding travel with the intent of prostitution. But jurors rejected the broader claims that the acts were part of a systemic trafficking operation.
In closing arguments, Combs’s defence team admitted to his troubled past — including domestic violence and drug use — but argued that the government’s case was based on exaggerations and uncorroborated testimony.
Lead defence attorney Marc Agnifilo described the outcome as a fair resolution. “This is his first conviction and it’s a prostitution offence,” Agnifilo said, adding that Combs was not a flight risk and should be allowed to return home to Miami Beach pending sentencing.
Inside the courtroom, Combs appeared visibly emotional as the verdicts were read. He put his hands together in prayer, mouthed “thank you” to the jury, and briefly covered his face before exhaling deeply.
He later smiled, pumped his fist, and embraced his legal team.
With the sex trafficking and racketeering charges off the table, attention now turns to sentencing for the remaining convictions. No date has been set.
The verdict caps a dramatic trial that revisited dark allegations from the height of Combs’s music and business empire. Although he faces prison time, the acquittals on the most serious charges mark a significant turning point for the embattled producer.
