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Sean 'Diddy' Combs sentenced to 4 years in prison
Sean "Diddy" Combs was convicted of transportation of people for the purposes of prostitution.
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Jane Rosenberg
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Reuters
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A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday sentenced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs to just over four years in prison for his conviction on transporting women for prostitution and to participate in drug-fueled sex marathons.
Combs, 55, faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian had said he didn’t see a reason to deviate from the sentencing guidelines — which called for a prison sentence between just under six years to just over seven years.
Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of more than 11 years, while the defense had argued Combs should get no more than 14 months.
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In July, a federal jury found Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The charges related to his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura and a victim who testified under the pseudonym “Jane.”
One key piece of evidence against Combs was a 2016 video showing the rapper and music producer physically assaulting Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel.
Combs was acquitted of more serious charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, which could have landed him in prison for life.
Combs’ legal team released a documentary-style video at the 11th hour that included a montage of clips showing Combs’ charity work and family. The video was accompanied by a letter from Combs, who wrote: “Over the past thirteen months, I have had to look in the mirror like never before. My pain became my teacher. My sadness was my motivator. I have to admit, my downfall was rooted in my selfishness.”
The video and letter stood in stark contrast to previous efforts by his defense, which has repeatedly stated Combs is not guilty and was targeted unfairly by the government.
Ventura, now known as Cassie Venture Fine, also wrote a letter to the judge ahead of sentencing, noting the days she testified in trial about the "most traumatic and horrifying chapter in my life."
Cassie Ventura (L) and recording artist Sean "Diddy" Combs arrive at a Las Vegas event in 2015.
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Ethan Miller
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Getty Images North America
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"For over a decade, Sean Combs made me feel powerless and unimportant, but my experience was real, horrific and deserves to be considered," she added.
One of Combs’ adult daughters was among those who spoke in his defense during the sentencing hearing.
Speaking through tears, she was quoted on CNN saying: “We are scared, scared of the thought of not having our dad and our mom present in our lives. We are scared for our 2-year-old little sister that runs to us every night asking where daddy is. We cannot watch our baby sister grow up fatherless the same way we had to grow up fatherless."
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