REAVLEY, Circuit Judge:
In this consolidated appeal, Erik Wayerski, Raymond Roy, John Mosman, and Stepan Bondarenko appeal their convictions and sentences for engaging in multiple child-pornography offenses. All four co-defendants were convicted of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g); conspiring to advertise, transport, receive, and possess child pornography and to obstruct justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 1512(k), 2251(d)(1) and (e), and 2252A(a)(1) and (b)(1); and advertising the exchange of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(d)(1). In addition, Wayerski and Roy were convicted of transporting and shipping child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(1), and receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2). Finally, Wayerski was also convicted of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2).
The defendants raise five issues on appeal in their individual briefs and by adopting each other's arguments. Their primary issue is that the statute of conviction for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g), is unconstitutionally vague. We hold that § 2252A(g) is not impermissibly vague, and we affirm the convictions of all defendants. However, we also agree with the Government's concession of error that the defendants' convictions for both engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and for a conspiracy premised on the same acts was impermissible. We reject all other claims of error, and we remand to the district court for the appropriate modification of the judgments.
All of the defendants argue that their convictions under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(g) for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise
We review whether a criminal statute is unconstitutionally vague de novo. United States v. Duran.
The first step in a vagueness inquiry is to examine the plain language of the statute.
Under § 2252A(g), a person who engages in a "child exploitation enterprise" is subject to imprisonment "for any term of years not less than 20 or for life."
The defendants argue that the statute is vague because it is unclear how a "series
In the instant case, the defendants participated in a sophisticated group of approximately 45 individuals who advertised and exchanged over the Internet thousands of images and videos of child pornography involving numerous minor children. An investigation by police lasting approximately two years revealed that the defendants used complex encryption technology and procedures to facilitate and conceal their activity. The defendants communicated with each other by using innocent newsgroup websites, such as for cooking or music, to post secret messages that would lead group members to the location of child pornography on other sites, as well as instructions on how to decrypt the material. The group limited its membership to known traders of child pornography who had been recommended by another member. Members were instructed to use aliases and to follow a written set of security measures and standard operating procedures to further the exchange of the child pornography. During the course of the group's existence over 400,000 images and videos which had traveled in interstate commerce via the Internet were advertised, transported, and/or received by its members. Group members also made specific requests for and purchased the production of new illicit material.
Nothing about § 2252A(g) is vague when applied in the context of the defendants' actions. Section 2252A(g) defines the predicate offenses that must be committed. The defendants' activity here satisfied the predicate offenses for § 2252A(g) because it violated at a minimum the prohibitions of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(d)(1), concerning the advertisement of child pornography, and 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(1) and (2), concerning the transportation and receipt of child pornography, which are Chapter 110 offenses covered in the child exploitation enterprise statute. The offenses involved much more than three separate instances and more than one victim, and they occurred in concert with more than three people. Indeed, the defendants do not suggest that their own conduct falls outside the reach of § 2252A(g). We therefore reject their vagueness challenge, as "`[o]ne to whose conduct a statute clearly applies may not successfully challenge it [facially] for vagueness.'" Bama Tomato Co. v. U.S. Dep't of Agriculture.
The defendants argue that the statute is vague because the word "series" is either undefined or is ambiguous as to whether it differs from the requirement that there be multiple incidents. We are not persuaded by the defendants' hypertechnical reading of the statute, however.
Defendants also present several hypotheticals purporting to show the statute's vagueness. For example, they argue that, contrary to Congress' intent, the statute may be unwittingly violated in a matter of minutes by a defendant who receives and transports three or more images of child pornography involving more than one child to three or more other persons. Even assuming the defendants could present their facial challenge, however, "speculation about possible vagueness in hypothetical situations not before the Court will not support a facial attack on a statute when it is surely valid in the vast majority of its intended applications."
We therefore hold that § 2252A(g) is not unconstitutionally vague as applied to the defendants.
Roy, Mosman, and Bondarenko argue that Count 1 of the indictment, which alleged that the defendants engaged in a child exploitation enterprise, failed to allege sufficiently a violation of § 2252A(g). They assert that Count 1 violated the Fifth and Sixth Amendments because it failed to identify both the statutes and the actions constituting the predicate offenses for a child exploitation enterprise. Consequently, they claim that they were not provided with adequate notice of the Government's case and there was no assurance that the grand jury found probable cause.
We review the sufficiency of an indictment de novo. United States v. Bobo.
An indictment is sufficient when it "(1) presents the essential elements of the charged offense, (2) notifies the accused of the charges to be defended against, and (3) enables the accused to rely upon a judgment under the indictment as a bar against double jeopardy for any subsequent prosecution for the same offense." United States v. Woodruff.
In the instant case, Count 1 of the indictment charged the defendants as follows:
Under a practical interpretation of the indictment, Count 1 was plainly sufficient. It specifically referred to and tracked the language of the statute on which it was based, i.e. § 2252A(g), and provided notice to the defendants of the charges to be defended. It alleged that the defendants engaged in a child exploitation enterprise with specifically named co-defendants by advertising, transporting, and shipping child pornography in interstate commerce, as part of a series of three or more separate instances and involving more than one victim. Furthermore, it alleged the time and place of the predicate violations. The indictment was adequate to apprise the defendants of the charges and to plead double jeopardy in any future prosecution for the same offense. See, e.g., United States v. Bascaro.
Because Count 1 of the indictment cited § 2252A(g), tracked § 2252A(g)'s language, and provided a general description of the facts and predicate offenses, Count 1 sufficiently alleged a violation of § 2252A(g).
Next, all of the defendants argue that their convictions for both engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and conspiring to commit multiple child-pornography offenses violated the Fifth Amendment's Double Jeopardy Clause. The Government concedes, and we agree, that the defendants are correct.
The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment protects "against multiple punishments for the same offense." United States v. Nyhuis.
The defendants contend that their conspiracy convictions are subsumed within their convictions for a child exploitation enterprise because § 2252A(g)'s requirement that at least three individuals act "in concert" to form an "enterprise" is essentially a conspiracy, and as such, their conspiracy convictions are lesser included offenses. In support of their argument, defendants rely on Rutledge.
In Rutledge, the Supreme Court held that a drug conspiracy conviction, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, was a lesser included offense of a continuing criminal enterprise conviction, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 848.
Similarly here, § 2252A(g) requires proof that a defendant acted "in concert" with at least three other persons. This conduct is an element of the child exploitation enterprise offense that requires the same proof of an agreement that would also violate the conspiracy offense charged in Count 2 of the defendants' indictment.
Roy and Mosman argue that the district court erred by applying a two-level sentence enhancement for obstruction of justice pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1. However, we find no clear error.
The presentence investigation report detailed numerous obstructive actions that the defendants took during the course of their child exploitation enterprise to avoid detection and thwart any law enforcement investigation. For example, as a group the defendants used continuously changing encryption keys to decipher and encrypt material posted to newsgroups; periodically moved from one newsgroup to another and changed their nicknames; used sophisticated computer file swapping techniques requiring special instructions to re-assemble files; and used special software programs that could lock down a computer or wipe it clean should law enforcement enter a member's home.
Roy and Mosman make no argument that these actions were not obstructive conduct. They argue that the obstruction enhancement was inapplicable because, even though they took numerous precautions to avoid detection, they were not under arrest and did not know that they were under investigation at the time they took these precautions. This argument is unavailing. The Guidelines' commentary specifically provides that "[o]bstructive conduct that occurred prior to the start of the investigation of the instant offense of conviction" may be covered by the Guideline.
We also reject Roy's and Mosman's contention that the district court erred by failing to make detailed findings setting forth the conduct that amounted to obstruction of justice. There is no need for a district court to make specific findings where, as in this case, it both adopts a presentence investigation report that contains specific findings and the defendant fails to request that the court make more specific findings. United States v. Smith.
Because there is no requirement that a defendant be under arrest or know he is being investigated at the time he commits obstructive acts, and the defendants failed to request that the district court make more specific findings in addition to those contained in the presentence investigation report, the district court did not err in applying a two-level obstruction-of-justice enhancement.
Finally, Wayerski and Roy argue that their sentences were unreasonable. Both defendants were sentenced within their respective Guidelines ranges. Wayerski was sentenced at the top of his range to 365 months in prison, and Roy was sentenced to 360 months, at the bottom of his range.
We review the reasonableness of a sentence under an abuse-of-discretion standard. Gall v. United States.
When reviewing for procedural reasonableness, we ensure that the district court: (1) properly calculated the Guidelines range; (2) treated the Guidelines as advisory; (3) considered the 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) factors; (4) did not select a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts; and (5) adequately explained the chosen sentence.
Substantive reasonableness involves examining the totality of the circumstances and whether the sentence is supported by the sentencing factors outlined in § 3553(a). See United States v. Gonzalez.
There is an expectation of reasonableness when a district court imposes a sentence within the applicable Guidelines range.
Neither Wayerski nor Roy can show that their sentences are unreasonable. In both cases, the district court properly calculated the Guideline range, treated the range as advisory, considered the statutory sentencing factors, and imposed a sentence within the Guideline range that is supported by the § 3353(a) factors.
Wayerski argues that his sentence is unreasonable because the district court improperly assumed that he would pose a significant risk to children after he was released from prison, even though there was no support in the record for such an assumption and he had no prior criminal history. He relies in part on the opinion of psychologist Dr. James Larson, who
At sentencing, the district court specifically noted the above evidence and indicated that it had considered the § 3553(a) factors, particularly the need to protect the public and provide deterrence. The weight the district court gave to these factors was within its sound discretion.
Roy argues that his sentence is substantively unreasonable because the Sentencing Guidelines for child-pornography offenses are irrational and not empirically based, his criminal history category was misleading, and his conduct was not so serious at to warrant the sentence he received. We are unpersuaded. Roy fails to show how the totality of the circumstances or the sentencing factors of § 3353(a) render his sentence unreasonable. The district court sentenced Roy to the bottom of his Guideline range specifically because of Roy's efforts to cooperate with the Government. The court noted that it had considered the § 3353(a) factors and believed a greater sentence was not necessary, but that the sentence imposed served the sentencing goals of punishment and deterrence. It is evident that the district court carefully considered the § 3553(a) sentencing factors, and we can find no fault in the district court's reasoning.
Both Wayerski and Roy argue that their conduct of receiving, transmitting, and exchanging child pornography is insufficiently serious to warrant the harsh sentences they received. We agree with the Government, however, that the defendants understate the severity of their conduct and the harm caused by their offenses. We have previously recognized the harm caused by child pornography offenses. Those who receive and exchange child pornography create a demand that influences the production of the pornography and the attendant physical and emotional injury to children.
Because both Wayerski and Roy failed to demonstrate that the district court abused its discretion, both of their sentences were reasonable. We therefore affirm the district court's judgments as to the total sentence imposed.
Upon review of the record and consideration of the parties' arguments, we affirm except that the Count 2 convictions are vacated. The case is remanded for the district court for resentencing, as discussed above.
AFFIRMED IN PART, VACATED AND REMANDED IN PART.