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Sean "Diddy" Combs attends Sean "Diddy" Combs Fulfills $1 Million Pledge To Howard University At Howard Homecoming – Yardfest at Howard University on October 20

Why Has Diddy Combs Been Acquitted of Sex Trafficking and Racketeering?

The jury convicted him of a Mann Act violation, which could mean up to 10 years in prison

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Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted Wednesday, July 2nd, of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, the most serious charges he faced in a high-profile federal trial in Manhattan. However, the jury found him guilty of a prostitution-related offense—a federal Mann Act violation—that could still send the 55-year-old hip-hop mogul to prison for up to 10 years.

After more than 13 hours of deliberation, the jury—comprising eight men and four women—reached a verdict, clearing Combs of the most severe allegations tied to an alleged sex trafficking ring and organized criminal conduct.

Acquittal on Sex Trafficking and Racketeering

The jury unanimously acquitted Combs of sex trafficking, which carried a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a possible life sentence, and racketeering conspiracy, acquitted based on the counts already decided. The acquittals represent a partial legal victory for Combs, who has consistently denied the allegations.

Combs was found guilty of transporting individuals—both romantic partners and paid male escorts—across state lines for sexual purposes, a felony under the Mann Act. This charge, rooted in a century-old federal statute originally passed to prevent human trafficking, could carry a sentence of up to 10 years per count.

Sean "Diddy" Combs attends Sean "Diddy" Combs Fulfills $1 Million Pledge To Howard University At Howard Homecoming
Sean «Diddy» Combs attends Sean «Diddy» Combs Fulfills $1 Million Pledge To Howard University At Howard Homecoming – Yardfest at Howard University on October 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean «Diddy» Combs

Prosecutors argued that Combs arranged and funded flights and hotel stays for women and men involved in what they described as drug-fueled “freak-off” sex marathons, often involving his former girlfriends.

Courtroom Scenes and Reaction

After the verdict was read, Combs bowed his head in prayer, clasped his hands together toward the jury, and hugged his lead attorney, Teny Geragos.

Moments later, visibly emotional, he smiled at family members, blew a kiss, and tapped his chest before being led away by U.S. Marshals. His mood was markedly improved compared to the previous day, when a jury note suggesting a verdict created anxiety among his legal team.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Cassie Ventura attend the 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination' Costume Institute Gala 2018
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Cassie Ventura attend the ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’ Costume Institute Gala 2018 at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York on Monday, May 7, 2018. Laura Thompson / New York Daily News via Getty Images

Key witness testimony included Cassandra Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend, who alleged she was coerced into sex with male escorts, and Daniel Phillip, a male stripper allegedly paid by Combs to engage sexually with Cassie. The defense did not call Combs to the stand. Instead, his attorneys argued that prosecutors were attempting to criminalize a “swinger lifestyle” and claimed that, at worst, the case involved domestic violence, not federal crime.

Combs remains in custody, and sentencing for the Mann Act conviction is expected later this year. He still faces multiple civil lawsuits related to sexual abuse and misconduct.

Though he avoided the harshest penalties, the conviction—and the ongoing jury deliberation on racketeering—pose serious threats to his freedom.