Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to immediately deny Sean “Diddy” Combs' motion to vacate his conviction or order a new trial after the music mogul was found guilty on two counts of running a prostitution ring.
In a filing filed shortly before midnight Wednesday, prosecutors said Combs arranged elaborate sexual encounters for two former partners between 2008 and the previous year. The events involved recruiting sex workers who sometimes crossed state lines to participate.
In July, a jury acquitted the Bad Boy Records founder of charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering and sex trafficking, crimes that carry mandatory prison sentences of up to 15 years or life.
However, the court found him guilty of two lesser charges of violating the Mann Act, which regulates interstate prostitution.
Each violation of the Mann Act carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. Combs was not granted bail despite defense arguments that there was no additional time for the counts.
Prosecutors stressed that he would inevitably spend several years in prison.
Combs is being held at the federal facility in Brooklyn after being arrested in September at a Manhattan hotel. Sentencing is set for Oct. 3.
The prosecution pointed to the flawed defense's argument in a court filing last month that the Mann Act is too vague and violates due process rights and the First Amendment.
“The evidence for the Mann Act cases is overwhelming,” prosecutors said.
In seeking acquittal or retrial, Combs' defense argued that the key elements of a Mann Act conviction — profiting from sex work or coercion — were missing.
“Of course, he had no commercial interest, and all participants were adults,” the lawyers said.
“The men participated in the trips and activities voluntarily. The verdict proves that the women were not vulnerable and were not subjected to exploitation, trafficking or sexual abuse.”
The defense argued that Combs was “at most paying for voyeurism in the context of swinger practices,” insisting that it “does not fall within the statutory definition of 'prostitution' when properly interpreted.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
