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Sean "Diddy" Combs is due to receive his sentence on Friday by a federal judge in New York City, following his guilty verdict earlier this year on federal prostitution-related charges.

This article provides a recap of his criminal case: what he was indicted for, what happened at trial, and potential next steps.

What Was He Convicted On?

In July, after an eight-week trial, a jury found Combs guilty of two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was found not guilty of the most serious charges against him, racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which could have resulted in the possibility of a life sentence.

The charges on which he was convicted each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. Combs had entered a not guilty plea to all of the charges.

Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the trial, will deliver the sentence on the scheduled day, with the court session due to begin at 10:00 AM Eastern Time in a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan.

Combs, fifty-five, has been detained without bond at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in the previous September. Since the verdict, the court has rejected two bail requests from Combs’s lawyers, and earlier this week Subramanian also rejected a request to set aside the guilty verdicts.

What Allegations Was Combs Facing?

Government attorneys accused the Bad Boy Records founder of leveraging his status and resources, and employing intimidation and coercion, to coerce former partners into participating in drug-fueled sexual marathons with paid companions. Such events were often referred to by the defendant as “freak-offs”, which they said Combs organized, watched, masturbated to and occasionally recorded.

The prosecution asserted that for over twenty years, Combs ran a illegal operation – assisted by employees and associates – to carry out and conceal crimes including sex-trafficking, drug distribution, bribery and abduction.

Although found guilty on two charges, Combs has denied any misconduct. His attorneys have maintained that every encounter was consensual and that no illicit organization was present.

What Happened During the Trial?

The prosecution presented more than 30 witnesses, including two of Combs’s former girlfriends – singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman who gave evidence using the alias Jane – who recounted the alleged events in explicit terms, and alleged that Combs coerced and threatened them into participating.

Ventura was the key witness for the prosecution. She stated that during her long-term relationship with Combs, he exposed her to various forms of mistreatment and to blackmail. The court was shown the 2016 video of Combs assaulting Ventura in a hallway. Jane also told the court of a violent altercation with Combs.

Other witnesses included ex-staff, escorts, police officers, hotel staff and celebrities including musician Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs did not testify.

Combs’s legal team acknowledged past instances of domestic violence, but disputed that any force or trafficking occurred. They maintained that all sexual activity was agreed upon and part of a “swingers’ lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were consenting adults in the encounters.

How Much Time Might He Face?

Combs’s attorneys have requested the judge for a sentence of a maximum of 14 months in prison, which, given time already served, would permit his freedom before the end of the year. They claim that Combs has already been “adequately punished” by serving 13 months in the “terrible conditions” at the detention center.

Federal prosecutors, however, have sought at least 135 months (over a decade) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In court filings, they portrayed Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his background and behavior” show years of abuse and violence.

What Was Said In Victim Impact Statements?

The government filed several victim impact statements to the judge ahead of sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“Although the jurors did not seem to grasp or accept that I engaged in freak-offs because of the pressure and intimidation the accused used against me, I know that is the reality, and his punishment should account for the reality of the evidence and my lived experience as a victim,” Ventura wrote.

“I am so fearful that if he is released, his initial steps will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his abuse, at trial,” she said.

“If there is one thing I have gained from this experience, it is that victims and survivors will never be safe,” she added. “I hope that your decision takes into account the truths at hand that the panel failed to see.”

What Comes Next?

Following the court's decision, Combs’s attorneys could appeal against the sentence. Combs’s defense is also likely to contest his conviction.

Separately, Combs is confronting numerous civil cases accusing him of misconduct and other misconduct. He has denied every claim in those suits.