Topic
Every decision we've filed under Child Sexual Abuse Material.
The First Circuit affirmed in part and remanded in part the convictions and sentence of a defendant charged with producing, possessing, and receiving child pornography and coercing minors, addressing claims of trial error and double jeopardy.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a conviction for producing child pornography, ruling that evidence of prior acts was properly admitted under Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b). The court held that videos of the defendant recording adult women were relevant to prove her identity and the absence of mistake in the charged offense.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed a conviction for child pornography, ruling that a user's consent to a cloud storage provider's terms of service validly authorized a search of their files. The court held that the provider's review of data to detect illegal content was a private search, not a government action requiring a warrant.
The Eleventh Circuit vacated and remanded a district court order denying a motion for compassionate release. The appellate court held that the lower court failed to provide sufficient reasoning to allow for meaningful review of its decision.
The Fifth Circuit affirmed a 240-month statutory maximum sentence for child pornography possession, rejecting claims that the district court unreasonably weighed the defendant's prior sexual assault conviction. The court held that the district court properly considered the defendant's lack of remorse and the need to protect the public under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Brandon Byner's 540-month sentence for producing and possessing child sexual abuse material, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion. The appellate court held that the severity of the crimes and the need to protect vulnerable victims justified the lengthy term despite the defendant's history of abuse.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a fifty-four-year prison sentence for a defendant convicted of producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in weighing the need to protect the public over the defendant's history of abuse.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed a 264-month prison sentence for a high school football coach convicted of sexually abusing multiple minors and producing child pornography. The court held that the district court properly applied the presumption of reasonableness to a within-guideline-range sentence, rejecting the defendant's argument that the sentence was substantively unreasonable.
The Tenth Circuit affirmed the conviction for possession of child pornography, holding that officers did not violate the Fourth Amendment when seizing a suspect's phone during a roadside stop. The court ruled that the stop was lawful under Terry v. Ohio, independent of the search warrant's execution.
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed the convictions of Roger Lee Caldwell, Jr., for child pornography offenses and child sexual abuse. The court held that any error in admitting hearsay testimony from a detective was harmless given the overwhelming independent evidence of guilt.