Rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of majority of the charges against him including sex trafficking and racketeering, but convicted of prostitution related charges on Wednesday as part of an eight-week federal trial.
The verdict cleared one of hip-hop's most celebrated figures of charges that could have put him behind bars for life.
Combs was convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and paid male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a felony violation of the federal Mann Act.
Verdict On Charges Against Sean Diddy Combs
A jury of eight men and four women acquitted Combs of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. There were allegations made against him of using his money, power and frightening physical force to manipulate his girlfriends into hundreds of reportedly 'drug-fueled sex marathons' with the men.
According to Associated Press, the government said Combs coerced women into abusive sex parties involving hired male sex workers, ensured their compliance with drugs like cocaine and threats to their careers, and silenced victims through blackmail and violence that included kidnapping, arson and beatings.
Combs and his defense team argued that the women were willing participants and that none of his violence justified the severity of the charges.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian adjourned the court while he considers whether to free Combs on bail in the wake of the verdict.
Combs was arrested in September and his lawyers argued that the acquittal on the most serious counts changed circumstances enough that he should get bail.
On Tuesday, Subramanian ordered the jury to continue its closed-door discussions for a third day after the panel of eight men and four women said it was unable to reach consensus on the top count: racketeering conspiracy.
The judge agreed with prosecutors and Combs' defense team that less than 13 hours of deliberations was too soon to give up on reaching a verdict on all counts.
In a note to the court late Tuesday, the jury said "unpersuadable opinions on both sides" among some jurors had prevented the group from reaching a unanimous verdict on the racketeering conspiracy charge.
Will Diddy Face Jail Sentence?
The prosecutors said that they would seek a prison term for the rapper. The maximum for such cases is 10 years.
The judge has not announced the sentence in the case as of yet.
