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The music mogul Sean Combs is due to receive sentencing on Friday by a US district judge in New York City, after his conviction earlier this 2025 on charges related to prostitution.

This article provides a overview of his legal proceedings: what he was indicted for, the trial events, and potential next steps.

What Charges Was He Convicted On?

In July, following a two-month trial, a panel of jurors found Combs guilty of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was acquitted of the more severe allegations against him, racketeering and human trafficking, which carried the possibility of a life imprisonment.

The offenses on which he was convicted each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years. Combs had pleaded not guilty to every count.

The presiding judge, Arun Subramanian, who presided over the case, will hand down the sentence on the scheduled day, with the hearing set to start at 10:00 AM Eastern Time in federal district court in lower Manhattan.

Combs, 55, has been detained without bond at the Brooklyn metropolitan detention center since his apprehension in September last year. Since the decision, the court has rejected two bail requests from Combs’s lawyers, and recently Subramanian also rejected a motion to set aside the guilty verdicts.

What Was Combs Facing?

Government attorneys accused the music executive of leveraging his status and resources, and using violence, threats and blackmail, to coerce two of his former girlfriends into engaging in drug-fueled sexual marathons with paid companions. Such sessions were often referred to by the accused as “hotel nights”, which they said Combs organized, observed, masturbated to and sometimes filmed.

The prosecution asserted that for more than two decades, Combs ran a illegal operation – aided by staff and allies – to carry out and hide crimes including sex trafficking, drug distribution, bribery and kidnapping.

Although found guilty on two charges, Combs has disputed wrongdoing. His lawyers have insisted that every encounter was mutually agreed and that no illicit organization existed.

What Transpired At Trial?

The prosecution presented over thirty witnesses, including former partners of Combs – artist Cassie Ventura and another woman who testified under the pseudonym of “Jane” – who recounted the so-called “freak-offs” in graphic detail, and claimed that Combs pressured and intimidated them into participating.

Ventura was the star prosecution witness. She testified that during her 11-year, on-off relationship with Combs, he exposed her to various forms of mistreatment and to extortion. The court was shown the 2016 video of Combs assaulting Ventura in a corridor. Jane also told the court of a violent altercation with Combs.

Other witnesses included ex-staff, escorts, police officers, hotel employees and celebrities including musician Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs chose not to take the stand.

Combs’s defense attorneys acknowledged previous incidents of domestic violence, but denied that any coercion or sex trafficking occurred. They argued that every sexual act was consensual and part of a “swingers’ lifestyle”, and argued that Ventura and Jane were willing participants in the sex acts.

How Much Time Could He Serve?

Combs’s lawyers have requested the court for a sentence of a maximum of 14 months in prison, which, given time already served, would allow for his freedom by year's end. They claim that Combs has already been “sufficiently penalized” by spending over a year in the “harsh environment” at the detention center.

The prosecution, however, have sought a minimum of 135 months (over a decade) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In court filings, they described Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his background and behavior” show years of abuse and violence.

What Statements Were Made In Victim Impact Statements?

The prosecution filed multiple statements from victims to the court before sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“Although the jurors did not seem to grasp or accept that I engaged in freak-offs because of the pressure and intimidation the accused used against me, I know that is the reality, and his sentence should account for the reality of the evidence and my personal experience as a victim,” Ventura stated.

“I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be immediate revenge towards me and other individuals who testified about his misconduct, at court,” she wrote.

“If there is one thing I have gained from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be secure,” she continued. “I hope that your decision takes into account the facts at hand that the panel overlooked.”

What Comes After Sentencing?

After sentencing, Combs’s legal team could appeal against the sentence. Combs’s defense is also expected to contest his verdict.

Additionally, Combs faces dozens of civil cases accusing him of misconduct and further offenses. He has denied every claim in those proceedings.