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Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs had his request for bail denied Wednesday after a jury found him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, but he escaped more serious criminal charges.

Former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow told Forbes avoiding conviction on the most serious charges was “positive” for Combs because he dodged the possibility of life in prison. Combs’ trial surrounded the “issue of whether Cassie Ventura and ‘Jane’ consented to engage in these sexual acts, and the jury has clearly said there was not evidence beyond a reasonable doubt of force, fraud or coercion,” Chutkow said, citing the elements required to prove a sex trafficking charge. Chutkow said the defense “did a good job of showing these women continued to have a relationship” with Combs and expressed “affection for him and a desire to engage in” the “freak-off” performances that were central to the case, citing text exchanges defense lawyers presented to argue Combs’ sexual encounters with his former girlfriends were consensual. Chutkow said jurors may have questioned whether Combs’ activities rose to the level of running a “criminal enterprise” as outlined in the racketeering conspiracy statute, stating jurors may have questioned who his co-conspirators were, as Combs was the only person on trial.

Yes, Combs could still face prison time for his convictions on the transportation to engage in prostitution charges, though he escaped the possibility of life in prison with his acquittals on the other charges. Each conviction on the prostitution offenses carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and prosecutor Maurene Comey said shortly after the conviction the government intends to pursue a sentence of 20 years in prison for Combs, CNN reported. Chutkow said he would be “surprised” if Combs was sentenced to the maximum number of years in prison, stating the judge would consider that Combs was acquitted by the jury on the most serious charges.

Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest, though his attorneys are pushing for his release. Subramanian told both defense lawyers and prosecutors to write letters arguing their positions on whether Combs should be released on bail, the Associated Press reported, and he adjourned court until the afternoon.

Combs appeared to celebrate the verdict in the courtroom, pumping his fist in the air and hugging his defense lawyer Teny Geragos once the verdict was read, multiple outlets reported. Combs’ lawyers appeared “absolutely ecstatic” following the verdict, the New York Times reported. After the verdict was read, Combs turned to his family and mouthed, “I’m going home.” Outside the courtroom, supporters cheered “Free Puff!” the Associated Press reported.

One of the transportation to engage in prostitution charges Combs was convicted on related to Cassie Ventura, his ex-girlfriend who was a key witness to the government’s case against him. The other prostitution count concerned ex-girlfriend “Jane,” who took the witness stand under a pseudonym. Transportation to engage in prostitution is illegal under the federal Mann Act, and prosecutors made their case that Combs had transported his former girlfriends and male sex workers across state lines to engage in “freak off” or “hotel night” sex performances.

Ventura’s lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor said in a statement following the verdict her courage to file a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, which kicked off a barrage of civil suits filed against Combs alleging crimes like sexual assault and sex trafficking, made his eventual conviction possible. “Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in,” Wigdor said, according to the Associated Press.