Hip-hop mogul P. Diddy, acquitted of the most serious charges against him in a highly publicized sexual assault trial, is set to receive his sentencing on Friday.

The sentencing hearing began at the New York courthouse where the star is being tried, with him present and before a large crowd. His family was also present, to whom he gave a kiss as he entered the courtroom.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik, who is seeking a minimum prison sentence of 11 years, reiterated Friday that a harsh sentence was warranted.

"Today is about accountability and justice" for "victims whose lives have been shattered," she said. She dismissed the defendant's belated remorse, who in a letter sent to the judge on Thursday asked for forgiveness for his actions, saying he was "broken" by what he had done.

"He only took on this violence to the extent that it served him," as a "trial strategy," Christy Slavik said.

The accused's defense had to speak in turn, before the sentence was pronounced.

After two months of deliberations in New York, jurors in July dismissed the most serious charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy against Sean Combs, his real name, sparing him a life sentence.

But the 55-year-old former rapper and businessman could still face a heavy sentence: the charges of transporting people for the purpose of prostitution, for which he was convicted, carry a total sentence of 20 years in prison.

For its part, the defense requested that his sentence not exceed 14 months, highlighting his good behavior since his imprisonment and his "destroyed" image.

This length of time would allow Combs to be released before the end of the year, taking into account the time spent in pretrial detention in Brooklyn.

- Fear of "reprisals" -

Among the victims, singer Cassie, his girlfriend from 2007 to 2018, urged the judge to consider "the many lives that Sean Combs has disrupted."

"I still have nightmares, daily flashbacks, and continue to require psychological care," she wrote in a letter, claiming that she and her family had left the New York area for fear of "retaliation" if P. Diddy was "released."

The former hip-hop powerhouse, who appeared aged to audiences with white hair and beard, had a triple career as a producer, rapper, and businessman. He signed rap legend The Notorious B.I.G. in the 1990s, before finding success himself under the name Puff Daddy, and later partnering with alcohol brands.

He was accused of forcing women - including Cassie and a more recent partner who testified under the pseudonym "Jane" - to engage in sex marathons with male prostitutes while he masturbated or filmed.

He was also accused of setting up a criminal network to organize these activities called "freak-offs" or "hotel nights."

- Presidential pardon? -

During the proceedings, pregnant singer Cassie and "Jane" recounted threats to their reputation, financial situation, and physical integrity.

Jurors viewed recordings of the sex marathons in question, as well as surveillance footage from a Los Angeles hotel showing Diddy dragging Cassie to the ground and beating her.

The defense lawyers, who were very aggressive during their cross-examinations and attempted to discredit the prosecution witnesses, did not deny the facts.

They did, however, insist that the "freak-offs" were consensual and that their client had a "polyamorous" lifestyle that did not fall under criminal law.

The defense also made no secret of its attempts to obtain a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.

A request that has little chance of success, the president having rejected the idea during an interview at the beginning of August, speaking of someone "very malicious".