Explained | What's next for Sean 'Diddy' Combs after his sex trafficking?

New York: Sean "Diddy" Combs was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but cleared of more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five felony counts he faced. Here's what's expected to come next in the case:

Combs remains jailed for now

US District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs' request to be released from federal lockup in Brooklyn until sentencing, given the evidence presented at trial of violent acts Combs had committed.

"It is impossible for the defendant to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he poses no danger," Subramanian said.

Sentencing

Subramanian suggested sentencing Combs on October 3, but said he would entertain a defense request for an earlier date.

Combs faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. Prosecutors acknowledged in a court filing that federal sentencing guidelines appeared to recommend a sentence of at most 5-1/4 years total, well below the statutory maximum. Combs' lawyers argued that two years would be the outer limit.

Appeal

After Combs' sentencing, his lawyers may file an appeal of both his conviction and his sentence. To succeed on appeal, the defense faces the high burden of convincing the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals that Subramanian made legal errors that impacted the jury's verdict.

Any appeal may take years to play out. For example, the 2nd Circuit upheld the sex trafficking conviction and 20-year prison sentence of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell on September 17, 2024, nearly three years after her conviction.

Civil lawsuits

Rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, a star prosecution witness, sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs settled with Ventura for $20 million, but many others are unresolved. Combs has denied all wrongdoing.