Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution following an eight-week trial in New York - but he has been cleared of the most serious charges.

The 55-year-old rapper had been accused by prosecutors of abusing and coercing three alleged victims, including his former long-term partner, singer- and-model Cassie Ventura and ex-girlfriend Jane - who used a pseudonym - and other crimes including arson, kidnapping and blackmail.

The 12-person jury in a Manhattan federal courtroom delivered the verdict, declaring 55-year-old hip hop mogul to be guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution relating to the two women.

The jury cleared Diddy of two counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering conspiracy.

The I'll Be Missing You rapper was flanked by his eight lawyers as the verdict was read out as his family looked on.

The mixed verdict means that Diddy now faces a sentence of up to 20 years in jail.

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will seek a 20-year maximum sentence for Combs.

Following the verdict, Judge Arun Subramanian addressed the jury and thanked them for their "tremendous sacrifice", saying: "I want you to know that it is inspiring to all of us. You listened, you worked together, you were here every day, rain or shine. You did so with no reward, other than the reward that comes from answering the call of public service. That should give all of us hope."

Judge Subramanian also told the jurors that media outlets would look to speak with them in the wake of the case, a decision he insisted was up to them.

He said: "There is an important reason to respect the privacy of your deliberations. That being said, the choice of whether to speak to others about the case and your personal views is up to you."

During the trial, the jury was shown videos of "freak off" sex parties for which Diddy hired male escorts will have sex with his partners.

Numerous former employees, including escorts, hotel staff and police officers were among those to give evidence.

Ex-partners Cassie and Jane also testified and claimed they were coerced into the drug-fuelled freak offs - and were abused throughout their relationships.

Combs maintained his innocence throughout the trial and had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him. He did not take to the stand in his own defence.

His defence team told the court the sex acts were always consensual and although the hip hop icon could be violent and used drugs and engaged in an unusual sex life, he was not guilty of the charges.

The allegations against Diddy - a three-time Grammy winner - first came to prominence in November 2023, when Cassie filed a lawsuit accusing him of coercing her into unwanted sex sessions, as well as blackmail and several incidences of violence.

The suit was settled within 24 hours for $20 million, but a few months later CNN obtained and aired hotel security footage showing Combs punching and kicking Cassie and throwing her to the floor in 2016.

The footage from the hotel incident was shown during the trial.