EXCLUSIVE Why 'The Punisher' who took part in hours-long 'Freak Off' sessions with Cassie and 'terrible' Diddy says the jury got it right
Sharay Hayes said the mogul's federal trial made plain he was a 'terrible partner' who mistreated women and committed 'undeniably egregious' acts.
But he doesn't think prosecutors did enough to prove beyond doubt that Diddy, 55, was guilty of the gravest charges that might have sent him to prison for life.
'Honestly, I think today was the proper verdict. I think the jury's decision was the right one based on the law,' Hayes told DailyMail.com in an exclusive post-verdict interview.
'Was he a terrible partner, yes, absolutely. He did a lot of things that I'm sure everyone would agree was heinous behavior.
'But that doesn't mean they proved the case that he was guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering. You can't convict someone just for being a bad person.'
Diddy - real name Sean Combs – was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
He faces up to a decade behind bars on each count, but experts agree a sentence of that length is extremely unlikely.
In his testimony, Hayes said he had met with Diddy and Ventura around 12 times for the sessions and that his book uses 'real life funny stories to kind of make light of the struggle's men go through'
Diddy - real name Sean Combs - was found guilty of two counts of transportation for the purpose of prostitution. But according to Hayes, the prosecution failed to make a strong enough case for a life sentence, adding that 'you can't convict someone just for being a bad person'
Hayes, 51, previously told the trial he was hired for up to a dozen 'freak off' sessions with the producer and his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, 38.
He didn't recognize the Bad Boy Records founder at first because he covered his face with a veil when the hook ups began in 2012.
But he eventually let slip his identity when the words 'Essex House would like to welcome Mr. Sean Combs' flashed up on a hotel TV.
Singer Cassie was one of two exes who claimed they were abused and coerced into taking part in alleged sex marathons for Diddy's pleasure.
But Hayes told DailyMail.com: 'Some of the behavior was undeniably egregious, I don't want to minimize that. But I can't overlook the fact these were his girlfriends, he was with them for long periods of time.
'There were moments he treated them badly and went too far. But does that mean these women were sex trafficked? It doesn't align with the charges, for me.'
Hayes, a stripper, entrepreneur and author, wrote about his experiences with Cassie and Diddy in the book 'In Search of Freezer Meat.'
A self-help guidebook about erectile dysfunction, it shot to number one in Amazon's 'Male Impotence' category after the title was mentioned in court testimony.
He maintains he never saw any evidence Cassie was being coerced into their hours-long trysts as Diddy silently masturbated.
'They were in a ten-year relationship, albeit a toxic and dysfunctional one,' said Hayes, who was allegedly paid up to $2,000 per session.
'I did not get any sense that she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. She would end each session in a good mood saying, "see you next time".
'Nobody ever said directly to me, you have to have sex or we're giving you this money to have sex. Perhaps that was done purposefully. '
Amazingly, Hayes thinks Diddy can make a comeback after he serves out whatever sentence Manhattan federal judge Arun Subramanian chooses to dish out.
'We live in a society now where people can recover from everything,' reflected Hayes, who runs a company called Hunk-o-Mania, providing ripped male strippers for raunchy bachelorette parties.
'One of the most amazing things I've seen recently is how there was such a resurgence and positivity for O.J. Simpson before he died.
'Young people have an especially short attention span. If Diddy can attach himself to another hit record, I think he can get past this.'
Hayes added: 'There was also a lot of misinformation ahead of the trial. People were expecting crazy, crazy details and all that we actually heard about was racy sexual activity.
'I know he's facing a lot of civil suits, and the burden of proof is much lower in civil cases. He'll welcome those over life in prison, any day.'
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