Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison on two prostitution-related charges. The decision is a blow for prosecutors, who had sought to keep the rapper behind bars for at least 11 years, a request that the judge ruled “unreasonable”.
Handing down the decision, Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs “irreparably harmed two women” who continue to deal with the effects of his offenses to this day.
“The conduct occurred for over a decade and with tremendous frequency over that time period,” Judge Subramanian said.
“Why did it happen that long? Because you had the power and the resources to keep it going. And because you weren’t caught.”
The mogul will also be required to pay a $500,000 fine, the maximum amount the judge could impose.
The disgraced star held his head in his hands and cried during proceedings, which lasted almost eight hours, on Friday.
His sentencing came three months after a jury cleared the rapper of sex trafficking his ex-girlfriends through a decades-long criminal enterprise, charges that could have led to a life sentence.
Combs addressed the court earlier and begged the judge for mercy, calling his actions “disgusting, shameful and sick.” Combs apologized to the victims and “all the victims of domestic violence.”
Describing his decision, Judge Arun Subramanian said “a substantial sentence must be given to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability.”
In final remarks to Combs, the judge noted Combs would still have a life after prison, noting, “There is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
