Diddy found guilty on 2 out of 5 counts in sex trafficking and prostitution case as jury reaches verdict
The jury has finally reached a verdict in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs after he was accused of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
A rap kingpin in his day, the 55-year-old had been on trial for almost two months and was placed in federal custody at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center over his alleged crimes since September 2024.
He denied all the charges he was facing.
Following the closing arguments from the prosecution and defence teams last week, the jury commenced its deliberations on June 30. They were asked to conclude whether Combs was too intoxicated to intentionally commit his crimes, or that he harbored genuine intent even under intoxication.
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They have since reached their verdict and Combs has been found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has however been found not guilty of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of racketeering conspiracy.
What was Diddy accused of?
The criminal case built against Combs included one charge of racketeering conspiracy, plus two charges of both sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
In the racketeering conspiracy framework, accusations of kidnapping, drugging, and coercing women into sexual activities (with occasional use of violence and firearms) were all present.
In full, the five counts were as follows:
- Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy
- Count 2: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – pertains to Victim 1 (Cassie)
- Count 3: Transportation to engage in prostitution – pertains to Victim 1 (Cassie) and commercial sex workers
- Count 4: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – pertains to Victim 2 (“Jane”)
- Count 5: Transportation to engage in prostitution – pertains to Victim 2 (“Jane”) and commercial sex workers
He's been found guilty of counts 3 and 5, and not guilty of the rest.
When was Diddy arrested?
Combs was arrested at the Park Hyatt hotel, in Manhattan on September 16, 2024, after a grand jury indictment.
His lawyer Marc Agnifilo claimed that the music producer co-operated with the authorities and voluntarily relocated to the Big Apple in anticipation of the event.
Agnifilo said at the time: "These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."
The testimonies
Cassie Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend, spoke at length about the music mogul's 'freak off' parties involving drug-influenced orgies. Allegedly, Combs would sit and masturbate in the corner of the room as she was forced to have sexual intercourse with male prostitutes.
After an alleged confrontation at rapper Kid Cudi's house, whom was at one point seeing Cassie, Combs's ex-personal assistant Capricorn Clark revealed in her testimony that her jealous boss 'came at' Cassie with '100% full force', repeatedly kicking her as she crouched in the foetal position and 'silently' cried.
Meanwhile, a male escort known as 'The Punisher' (real name Sharay Hayes) took to the stand and offered details about the many encounters he allegedly had with Cassie and the defendant.
Elsewhere, when the police raided Combs's houses in Miami and Los Angeles, they found 'hundreds' of bottles of baby oil and lubricant, as well as 900 bottles of Astroglide.
Bags containing drugs - later identified as ketamine - were also photographed as evidence, as was a cache of weapons including AR-15 style rifles, pistols and pump shotguns that he used to coerce his victims.
What did the defense close out with?
Agnifilo, Combs's lead counsel, described the charges his client faced as 'badly exaggerated' during the closing argument.
He went on to suggest Combs had 'taken care of people', including ex-partner Jane who'd testified using a pseudonym.
"I don't know what Jane is doing today, but she's doing it in a house he's paying for," said Agnifilo, alluding to Combs paying for her rent and legal representation.
"This isn't about crime. It's about money. This is about money," he added, before telling the various jurors to 'call this as you see it' and 'acquit Sean Combs of all the counts'.
Their case was rested within half an hour on June 24, while the defense team's closing statements were spread across five hours on June 27.
Topics: Celebrity, Crime, Diddy, Music, Sex Trafficking
Dan Seddon