SAUNDRA BROWN ARMSTRONG, District Judge.
Defendant David Busby is charged in a one-count Indictment with a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B)—Possession of Child Pornography. The parties are presently before the Court on Defendant's five Motions in Limine. Dkt. 88. Having read and considered the papers filed in connection with this matter and being fully informed, the Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART motion in limine nos. 1 and 2, GRANTS motion in limine nos. 3 and 4, and DENIES motion in limine no. 5.
Defendant is a 59 year-old male who is accused of possessing child pornography on his workplace computers while employed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ("LBL"). At the time Defendant is accused of downloading child pornography in this case, he worked for LBL's Information Technology Division at its Scientific Facility located in Oakland, California. LBL is operated by the University of California, Berkeley ("UCB").
Defendant has a prior criminal record based on a July 1990 conviction following his entry of a guilty plea to committing a lewd act on a child under the age of 14, in violation of California Penal Code § 288(a). The child victim was the Defendant's seven year-old stepdaughter. Defendant suffered the conviction in the Solano County Superior Court, which sentenced him to probation and ordered him to serve 90 days in county jail on weekends.
As a result of his molestation conviction, Defendant is subject to the Sex Offender Registration Act, Cal. Pen. Code §§ 290-290.024. Under those provisions, Defendant is required to register with the chief of police of the city in which he resides, as well as the chief of police of the campus of the University of California if he resides on the campus or in any of its facilities.
On the morning of April 20, 2010, an offsite security contractor with the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center ("NERSC") was monitoring LBL's servers and noticed an unusual amount of internet traffic to domain names ending in .biz and .info, preceded by entries such as "tinymodel," "young-angels," "party-models," "newstar-bambi," and "skygirls." This prompted the contractor to investigate further, at which point he was able to isolate the traffic to a particular IP (Internet Protocol) address. The contractor determined that the identified IP address was using the server to access BitTorrent files with names such as "Taboo-Incest-Father-And-Daughter-Have-Sex-But-Busted-By-Moms-Hidden-Camera-Pthc-Porn-2007-incest" and "Pthc-Russia10Yo-11Yo-Little-Brother-And-Sister-2BoyGirls-Fucking-Just-Posing-Or-Naked-Pthc-R." Id. at DB-19, DB-20. The IP address was traced to a MacBook Pro laptop computer which had been assigned to the Defendant.
Upon being notified of the suspicious internet activity by Defendant, LBL's Director of Security notified the UCB Police Department ("UCPD") to report that Defendant had been visiting websites that potentially hosted child pornography. LBL staff confiscated the MacBook Pro laptop and turned it over to Detective Nicole Miller. LBL also confiscated eight computers at LBL's facility in Berkeley, and turned them over to UCPD on April 21, 2010. After the hard drives of the seized computers were reviewed, UCPD Detective Sabrina Reich applied for and obtained a warrant from the Alameda County Superior Court to search Defendant's residence in Richmond, California.
On April 22, 2010, Detectives Reich and Miller visited Defendant at his home. Defendant, accompanied by his wife, greeted the Detectives at his door and stated that he was expecting them. Detective Reich began the meeting by noting that Defendant's employer had reported that he "may have looked at some inappropriate stuff" on his computer and that they wanted to hear what he had to say. Defendant began by stating, "well, you know my background," and proceeded to recount his molestation conviction in 1990. Defendant indicated that he took responsibility for his conduct, and that he has not molested anyone else since his conviction. However, he said that "pornography is a different matter. ... it's addictive and I'm addicted." Defendant then indicated that he had "been through this process before" and did not wish to make any statements without legal counsel.
At the end of the interview, Detective Reich asked for Defendant's cooperation in gathering any computers or similar devices from his residence. Defendant indicated he did not have any computers at his home. Detective Reich then informed him that she had a search warrant and was looking for computers, electronic devices, and any printed pornographic materials, or videos.
A second meeting with Defendant at his home took place about two weeks later on May 6, 2010. On that date, Department of Energy ("DOE") Special Agents Quenton Sallows and Nick Williamson met with Defendant and informed him that they were investigating the allegations that he possessed child pornography. Defendant admitted to downloading and viewing child pornography on his work computer. He told the Agents they would likely find child porn on the cache files on his computers. Defendant indicated "that he would download the images, place them in an untitled file, and then eventually delete the images from the computers." Defendant revealed that he has a long history of addiction to pornography and alcohol, and admitted to having been convicted in 1990 for molesting his stepdaughter. Though he has attempted to avoid viewing pornography, Defendant repeated several times that he has "demons which have been winning."
Defendant's work computers were forensically examined by Special Agent Ryan Fussell, who discovered alleged child pornography on the unallocated space on the computer hard drives (meaning that the files had been deleted). More than 3,000 images of child pornography were found on the laptop and almost 20,000 such images were found on Defendant's desktop work computer. In addition, log files indicating recent downloading of child pornography by Defendant were located.
On March 31, 2011, Defendant was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). Dkt. 1.
Trial is scheduled to commence on July 8, 2013, and a pretrial conference is set for July 2, 2013. In anticipation of those proceedings, Defendant has now filed five motions in limine. Dkt. 88. Specifically, Defendant seeks an in limine order: (1) limiting the Government to presenting only five child pornography images (photos) at trial; (2) excluding Defendant's 1990 state court conviction for child molestation and his related UCB sex offender registrations; (3) excluding a computer file entitled "Moral Inventory" in which Defendant admitted to being a "pedophile"; (4) excluding any other act evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) of which the Government has not yet provided notice; and (5) excluding network and computer file logs which purport to show Defendant's internet activity, which include files with sexually graphic names. The motions are fully briefed and are ripe for adjudication. Dkt. 89, 97.
The Government has found more than 23,000 "images related to child pornography" on Defendant's workplace computers. Gov. Opp'n at 4, Dkt. 89. At trial, the Government intends to admit thirty-three of those images as evidence of Defendant's possession of child pornography. These particular photos are taken from five photosets which the Government has styled as "Shower," "Stocking," "Cannon," "Hammock," and "Beach." Gov. Exs. 3-7. Each photoset is based on a theme or backdrop.
Defendant now moves for an in limine order limiting the Government's presentation at trial to only
As an initial matter, the images at issue are not extrinsic to the crime, but are "part of the actual pornography possessed."
As explained in
519 U.S. at 187. Here, it is arguable that a single photo from each photoset may suffice to reveal the illegal nature of the image—but a single photo does not tell the full story regarding Defendant's conduct. Each photoset is comprised of an array of photos that depict very young girls in progressively more suggestive and sexually explicit poses and/or stages of undress, ultimately culminating in a close-up view of the subject's genitalia. Far from being duplicative, the images offered from each photoset are distinct, and, when viewed together as a sequence, convey a visual fantasy intended to whet viewer's sexual interest. The Government's ability to present multiple photos from each photoset—as opposed to one—is consistent with the Government's "need for evidentiary richness and narrative integrity in presenting a case[.]"
Defendant fails to cite any decisional authority where the court has limited the Government's presentation of pornographic images to only a handful out of tens of thousands of potential images. Rather, he cites
Finally, in his reply, Defendant argues that the presentation of thirty-three images is unnecessary because, at trial, he will not dispute that "the images are both child pornography and actual minors." Def.'s Reply at 2. Since Defendant did not raise this contention in his moving papers—which would have thus afforded the Government an opportunity to respond—it is not properly before the Court.
In sum, the Court is unpersuaded by Defendant's contention that Rule 403 dictates that the Government be limited to a total of five images, one from each photoset. Based on its in camera review of the images, the Court finds that the probative value of permitting the jury to view multiple images from the same photoset outweighs the potential for unfair prejudice to the defense. Nonetheless, the Court finds it unnecessary for the Government to publish thirty-three such images; rather, in balancing the probative value against the potential prejudicial effect of allowing multiple images, the Court will allow the Government to present at trial no more than three images from each photoset. The images selected by the Government should be consistent with the rationale set forth above. Accordingly, Defendant's motion in limine to limit the number of child pornography images the Government may present at trial is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.
Defendant next moves to exclude his 1990 conviction for committing a lewd act on a child and related sex offender registrations with the UCPD in 2008 and 2009.
Rule 404(b) provides that "[e]vidence of a crime, wrong, or other act is not admissible to prove a person's character in order to show that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character." Fed. R. Evid. 404(b)(1). Such evidence is nonetheless admissible for other purposes, "such as proof of motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident . . . ."
"Rule 404 is simply a specific qualification of the general rule of the admissibility of all relevant evidence."
The Government contends that the molestation conviction is probative of Defendant's sexual interest in children, which, in turn, bears upon his "motive" to possess child pornography and whether he "knowingly and intentionally possessed the child pornography found on his computer." Gov. Opp'n at 8, 9. This theory of admissibility is supported by federal case law, which has consistently held that a defendant's prior molestation conviction is relevant and admissible in a child pornography prosecution because it tends to show that the defendant intentionally downloaded child pornography, that he knew the images were child pornography, and that he could not have mistaken the subject images as anything other than child pornography.
Defendant does not directly address the Government's theory of admissibility under Rule 404(b). Def.'s Reply at 4. Instead, he asserts that the prior conviction is improper propensity evidence under Rule 404(a). Rule 404(a) provides that: "Evidence of a person's character or character trait is not admissible to prove that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character or trait." Fed. R. Evid. 404(a).
Equally unavailing is Defendant's ancillary assertion that the age of the conviction "argues strongly for excluding it." Def.'s Reply at 5. The Ninth Circuit has not adopted "an inflexible rule regarding remoteness in the context of Rule 404(b),"
Here, Defendant's prior conviction, though suffered in 1990, nonetheless remains germane to his longstanding challenges with his addiction to pornography—including his continuing sexual interest in children which, in turn, ultimately led to his possession of child pornography.
For all the foregoing reasons, the Court DENIES Defendant's motion in limine to exclude his prior conviction. However, to minimize the potential for undue prejudice,
The Government contends that the probative value of the sex offender registrations is based on the Defendant's alleged disclosure of such information "to police when he was interviewed a few days after he was caught downloading pornography." Gov. Opp'n at 8. Presumably, the Government is referring to the home interview of Defendant conducted on April 22, 2010 by UCPD Detectives Reich and Miller. The Court has reviewed the recording of that interview and notes that while Defendant mentioned his prior conviction, he made no mention of the sex offender registrations. Since the Government has not shown that the sex offender registrations have any other probative value, the Court GRANTS Defendant's motion in limine to exclude evidence of or reference to the sex offender registrations at trial.
Defendant next moves to exclude the contents of a file found on the hard drive of Defendant's workplace desktop computer entitled "Moral Inventory." Gov. Ex. 20. The file was created in 1990. The file consists of a document which appears be to a self-assessment in six areas: (1) "Arrogance"; (2) "Dishonesty"; (3) "Sexuality"; (4) "Prompness" [sic]; (5) "Fear"; and (6) "Self Pity." With regard to sexuality, Defendant states that "THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG ONE!. . . . I am a pedophile, and I want to understand why!"
The Government contends that Defendant's admission that he is a pedophile is probative of his motive to possess child pornography. Gov. Opp'n at 9. Perhaps so, but this evidence is cumulative of evidence pertaining to Defendant's 1990 conviction for child molestation. Based on that evidence, the jury already will be informed that Defendant was, at that time, a pedophile. As such, it is unnecessary for the jury to be again so informed. Thus, pursuant to Rule 403, the Court GRANTS Defendant's motion in limine to exclude evidence of or reference to the Moral Inventory file at trial.
Defendant moves to exclude any "other act" evidence for which it has not yet provided notice to the defense. Mot. at 7. Rule 404(b) "requires that `the prosecution in a criminal case shall provide reasonable notice in advance of trial, or during trial if the court excuses pretrial notice on good cause shown, of the general nature of any such evidence it intends to introduce at trial.'"
In his final motion in limine, Defendant seeks to preclude the Government from admitting into evidence the network log files and the log files on Defendant's computer that indicate he was downloading child pornography. These files were discovered by the NERSC security contractor who was monitoring LBL's computer system. Defendant contends that the names of some of the computer files referenced in those logs are inflammatory within the meaning of Rule 403 and thus should not be admitted unless either: (1) the Government proves that Defendant actually possessed those files; or (2) the content of the file associated with the file name contains illegal content.
The challenged file logs are set forth in Government Exhibits 8, 21 and 22. Exhibit 8 is an email from the NERSC security contractor to Detective Miller which summarized information he obtained from his review of LBL network server logs.
Defendant does not dispute that the file logs are relevant and admissible; nor does he dispute that the logs constitute an accurate summary of what the NERSC security contractor observed. Rather, Defendant asserts that the graphic names of some of the files referenced in the file logs are unduly prejudicial because there is no evidence that the files appearing on the logs were actually found on Defendant's computer or that those files contained illegal pornography. Mot. at 8-9. This argument misses the point. The significance of the file logs, and the sexually graphic file names in particular, is that they were what, in the first instance, alerted LBL's security contractor that Defendant may be visiting child pornography sites and/or downloading child pornography and ultimately prompted him to report his finding to LBL's Director of Security. As discussed above, the Government is permitted to present this type of evidence at trial in order to provide the jury with a logical and complete picture of the events leading to the instant charges.
In his reply, Defendant tacitly concedes the probative value of the file names and makes a new argument that "the contractor can testify that he noted activity that was suspicious and led him to believe that a user was seeking out child erotica or child pornography without detailing the names of the files." Def.'s Reply at 12. This contention lacks merit. Defendant admitted to the DOE agents that he used his work computers to search for child pornography and various websites. As noted, the sexually explicit nature of some of the files on the file logs is what triggered the NERSC contractor to alert authorities regarding Defendant's potentially illegal activities. The names are thus relevant and highly probative because they provides context to the actions leading to the discovery of child pornography on Defendant's computer and it demonstrates Defendant's knowledge of the sexually explicit nature of the materials he was looking for on the internet. The fact that some of the file names are graphic in nature does not require their exclusion.
For the reasons stated above,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
1. Defendant's Motions in Limine No. 1 is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. The Government shall be limited to a total of fifteen (15) images of child pornography, based on three (3) images per photoset.
2. Defendant's Motions in Limine No. 2 is DENIED as to the prior conviction and GRANTED as to the sex offender registrations.
3. Defendant's Motions in Limine No. 3 is GRANTED.
4. Defendant's Motions in Limine No. 4 is GRANTED, without prejudice to the Government's ability to seek leave to admit previously undisclosed Rule 404(b) evidence.
5. Defendant's Motions in Limine No. 5 is DENIED, except as noted.
IT IS SO ORDERED.