The ruling addresses the two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution for which Combs was found guilty by a Manhattan jury in July, violating the Mann Act. In his decision, Judge Subramanian cited the “overwhelming evidence of Combs’s guilt” presented by the prosecution regarding his treatment of two former girlfriends, including Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a woman identified as Jane.
Crucially, the defense’s argument that Combs was merely an “amateur pornographer” and that the highly publicized “freak offs” where Combs arranged for male sex workers to travel and engage in sexual performances with his girlfriends were “movie shoots protected by the First Amendment,” was definitively rejected by the court.
Judge Subramanian wrote that Combs’ filming of the activities was “incidental” and that “illegal activity can’t be laundered into constitutionally protected activity.” He further stated that Combs’ conduct “sits at the heartland of the Act’s legitimate proscriptions,” dismissing the notion that the conviction lacked a financial motive.
The denial means Combs, who has been jailed since September 2024, will proceed directly to sentencing. Prosecutors have requested a prison term of over 11 years, arguing that Combs’ use of violence, coercion, and drugs warrants a severe sentence. Combs’ defense team, meanwhile, is seeking a sentence of no more than 14 months, which could result in his immediate release due to time already served.
The upcoming sentencing marks the final dramatic chapter in the federal case that saw Combs acquitted of more severe charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
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