Batchelor v. State

193 So. 3d 1054, 2016 WL 3265542, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 9208
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJune 15, 2016
Docket2D15-308
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 193 So. 3d 1054 (Batchelor v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Batchelor v. State, 193 So. 3d 1054, 2016 WL 3265542, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 9208 (Fla. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

WALLACE, Judge.

William R. Batchelor appeals his judgment and sentences following a jury verdict finding him guilty of the following offenses: (1) traveling to nieet a minor after soliciting a parent or guardian for the purpose of engaging in an illegal act 'with a child, a violation of seétion 847.0135(4)(b), Florida Statutes (2012); (2) unlawful úse of a two-way communications device, á violation of section ’ 934.215, Floirida' Statutes (2012); .and (3) attempted lewd battery on a child, a violation of sections 800.04(4) and 777.04(1), Florida .Statutes (2012). We affirm in part and vacate in part.

I. THE FACTS

Mr. Batchelor was arrested as a result of his involvement in an online “sexual mentor” sting operation., The Polk County Sheriff’s Office conducted the operation. In this version of the sting, a law, enforcement officer posed as “Missy” on an adult, online dating website. Mr. Batchelor responded to “Missy” after seeing her profile on the website, and the two began to communicate. “Missy” told Mr. Batchelor that she was looking for a man to show her thirteen-year-old ;, daughter named “Brooke” about sex. Mr. Batchelor was willing to help. To, this end, he asked for. a photograph of the fictional “Brooke” and agreed to show her .about sex. Ultimately, on June 13, 2013, Mr. Batchelor traveled for a period of thirty-five minutes to one hour to,the location where he expected to meet .the fictitious “Missy” and “Brooke.” When he reached the house that was the site of the sting operation, Mr. Batchelor texted “Missy” to alert her to his arrival. *1056 Law enforcement officers arrested him in the house’s driveway.

II. MR. BATCHELOR’S APPELLATE ARGUMENTS

On appeal, Mr. Batchelor raises two points. First, he contends that the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion for a judgment of acquittal on the charge of attempted lewd or lascivious battery. Second, Mr. Batchelor argues that his convictions for the unlawful use of a two-way communications device and soliciting a parent for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with a child violate principles of double jeopardy. We will consider these points separately below.

III. THE SUFFICENCY OF THE EVIDENCE TO PROVE AN ATTEMPT

Under section 800.04(4): “A person who: (a) Engages in sexual activity with a person 12 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age; or (b) Encourages, forces, or entices any person less than 16 years of age to engage in sadomasochistic abuse, sexual bestiality, prostitution, or any other act involving sexual activity” commits the offense of lewd or lascivious battery. The elements of an attempt are (1) a specific intent to commit the offense and (2) an overt act done toward the commission of the offense that is beyond mere preparation. See § 777.04; Enix v. State, 69 So.3d 354, 357 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011). This court has explained the difference between mere preparation and an overt act as follows:

Preparation generally consists of devising or arranging the means or measures necessary for the commission of the offense. The attempt is the direct movement toward the commission after preparations are completed. The act must reach far enough toward accomplishing the desired result to amount to commencement of the consummation of the crime. Some appreciable fragment of the crime must be committed and it must proceed to the point that the crime would be consummated unless interrupted by a circumstance independent of the attempt[e]r’s will. The act need not be, however, the ultimate, the last proximate, or the last possible act toward consummation of the crime.

State v. Coker, 452 So.2d 1135, 1136-37 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984) (citations omitted). “[T]he line between preparatory acts and overt acts is difficult to draw and tends to be case specific.” Hudson v. State, 745 So.2d 997, 1000 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999).

We conclude that the record of Mr. Batchelor’s communications with “Missy” concerning the proposed sexual activity with “Brooke” and his travel to the location where the proposed sexual activity was scheduled to take place were more than sufficient to establish facts sufficient to withstand a motion for judgment of acquittal on the attempted lewd or lascivious battery charge. The facts in this case are similar to other cases finding the evidence sufficient to prove an overt act where the defendant was not arrested until he arrived at the location at which he believed the minor was waiting. See Carlisle v. State, 105 So.3d 625, 626-27 (Fla. 5th DCA 2013); Bist v. State, 35 So.3d 936, 938-42 (Fla. 5th DCA 2010); see also Hudson, 745 So.2d at 999-1001 (holding that the evidence was sufficient to establish an overt act where the defendant purchased a plane ticket and sent cash to a fictitious minor, arranged for the fictitious minor’s transportation by taxi from the airport to the defendant’s home, and approached the taxi upon its arrival where a deputy sheriff posing as the fictitious minor was waiting in the back seat). In this case, as in the cases cited, Mr. Batchelor had a realistic expectation of imminent sexual activity with the fictitious minor when he was arrested. Cf. Mizner v. State, 154 So.3d 391, *1057 398 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014) (finding no overt act moving beyond mere preparation where the defendant “was approximately sixty miles and eight-to-ten hours away from the proposed sexual contact” when he was arrested).

IV. THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY ARGUMENT

The jury found Mr. Batchelor guilty of traveling to meet a minor under section 847.0135(4)(b) and unlawful use of a two-way communications device under section 934.215. The State alleged in a second amended information that Mr. Batchelor committed these crimes “on or between June 10, 2013 and June 13, 2013.” There is no indication in the record that these crimes were committed other than as part of the same criminal episode. Mr. Batchelor argues that his judgment and sentences for these two offenses violate double jeopardy. He did not preserve this argument in the trial court; thus our review is for fundamental error.

Section 847.0135 provides, in pertinent part, as follows:

(4) Traveling to meet a minor.—
Any person who travels any distance either within this state, to this state, or from this state by any means, who attempts to do so, or who causes another to do so or to attempt to do so for the purpose of engaging in any illegal act described in chapter 794, chapter 800, or chapter 827, or to otherwise engage in other unlawful sexual conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child after using a computer online service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to:
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Bluebook (online)
193 So. 3d 1054, 2016 WL 3265542, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 9208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/batchelor-v-state-fladistctapp-2016.