Sean “Diddy” Combs will be staying in prison for several years.
The 55-year-old music mogul has been sentenced to 50 months in prison after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Keep reading to find out more…
The prosecution sought an 11-year sentence while Diddy‘s lawyers asked for a 14-month sentence, which would have led to his release by the end of the year due to time already served.
In the end, the judge sentenced Diddy to four years and two months in prison.
“I know that I have been changed for the better,” Diddy told the sentencing judge in court on Friday (October 30).
“I can’t change the past but I can change the future. I ask your honor for mercy. I beg your honor for mercy. I ask your honor for a chance to be a father again… a son again… a leader in my community again… for a chance to get the help that I desperately need to be a better person because I don’t want to let God down, I don’t want to let my family down,” he added (via Associated Press).
“I have nobody to blame but myself. I know I’ll never put my hands on another person again. I know that I have learned my lesson,” he said. “And I take full accountability and responsibility.”
Diddy‘s children all spoke in court and asked the judge for a light sentence.
Diddy added, “I know the prosecution wants you to make an example of me. I just want you to think of making an example of what a person can do if they get another chance. If you give me another chance, I won’t let you down. And the evidence of that is those beautiful children that got up there and spoke for me.”
The judge explained his sentencing by telling Diddy, “Mr. Combs, you’re being sentenced for the offenses of conviction, NOT the crimes you were acquitted of. However, under law, the court ‘shall consider’ the nature of the offense and characteristics of the defendant… I’ve considered the fact that you are a self-made artist and businessman who has innovated, inspired and lifted up communities, including communities of color, worldwide.”
The judge noted though that “a history of good works can’t wash away the record of this case… The evidence of abuse with respect to freak-offs and hotel nights is massive.”
“You had the power and the resources to keep it going, and because you weren’t caught. You paid for and organized these acts. You were no John. You were responsible for that, even if your currency was sexual desires and not money,” the judge said.
The judge told Diddy that he’s not convinced that the crimes won’t happen again if he’s released.
Read the lengthy letter that Diddy wrote to the court ahead of the sentencing, including an apology for Cassie.
Source: justjared.com