McKissick v. State

209 S.W.3d 205, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 8725, 2006 WL 2864695
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 5, 2006
Docket01-05-00559-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by100 cases

This text of 209 S.W.3d 205 (McKissick v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McKissick v. State, 209 S.W.3d 205, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 8725, 2006 WL 2864695 (Tex. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

EVELYN V. KEYES, Justice.

Appellant, Joe Irvin McKissick, pleaded guilty to 19 counts of possession of child pornography. See Tex. Pen.Code Ann. § 43.26 (Vernon 2003). The trial court assessed punishment at eight years’ probation and a $300 fine. In his sole point of error, appellant argues that the trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress *208 evidence collected from his personal computer pursuant to a search warrant.

We affirm.

BACKGROUND

On March 29, 2002, Robert Kite, a lifeguard for the Galveston County Sheriffs Department, received a radio dispatch stating that a man appeared to be taking pictures of young girls on Galveston Beach without their permission. Kite began to search for the man and observed appellant photographing the mid-sections of two girls who were walking along the beach. Kite stated that it did not appear that the girls had given appellant permission to photograph them. He estimated the girls were between the ages of 10 and 12. Kite approached appellant, identified himself, and asked appellant to sit on a nearby bench while Kite contacted the police.

Galveston Police Officers B. Gately and R. Steadham responded to Kite’s call. Officer Gately informed appellant that a recently enacted statute prohibited photographing another person for the purposes of sexual gratification or arousal without first obtaining that person’s consent. The statute cited by Gately, section 21.15 of the Texas Penal Code, provides that:

(a) A person commits an offense if the person photographs or by videotape or other electronic means visually records another:
(1) without the other person’s consent; and
(2) with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.
(b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony.

Act of June 11, 2001, 77th Leg., R.S., ch. 458, sec. 1, 2001 Tex. Gen. Laws 893, 893 (current version at Tex. Pen.Code Ann. § 21.15 (Vernon Supp.2005)). Appellant stated that he had been taking scenic pictures of the beach and water, and he granted the officers permission to view the photographs stored on his digital camera.

Kite turned appellant’s camera on, and, using its preview pane, he and Officer Steadham examined the photographs stored on the camera. Kite described seeing pictures which matched those he had earlier witnessed appellant taking of the two young girls walking along the beach. Officer Steadham observed a picture of “the rear-end of a young female” and another depicting the “crotch area of a young female” who appeared to be exiting the Galveston ferry boat. Officer Gately then viewed the photographs, observing “the back of a female” and “a waist shot.” Officer Gately testified that the photographs were inconsistent with appellant’s statement that he had been taking general scenic photographs of the beach and ocean. Appellant was taken into custody and transported to a police station.

Detective R. Sunley, who is assigned to the Galveston Police Department’s Crimes Against Children section, was called to question appellant. Appellant admitted that he had been taking pictures of girls, but denied knowing that doing so for the purposes of sexual gratification or arousal was against the law. See Tex. Pen.Code Ann. § 21.15. Appellant further stated that after taking pictures of girls, he would transfer the photos from his digital camera to his personal computer. Detective Sun-ley reviewed the pictures on appellant’s camera and observed images depicting “the front area and back area” of young girls. When he asked if appellant traded pictures over the internet, appellant became nervous and evaded the question. Appellant was then charged with the offense of improper photography or visual recording. See id.

Subsequently, Detective Sunley prepared an affidavit to present to a magis *209 trate to obtain a warrant to search appellant’s residence, located in Fort Bend County, for evidence of improper photography or visual recording. See id. Detective Sunley’s affidavit, subscribed and sworn to the magistrate on April 2, 2002, four days after appellant’s arrest, read as follows:

The undersigned Affiant, being a Detective of the Galveston Police Department, and being duly sworn, on oath makes the following statements:
1. My name is Robert Sunley and I am a detective with the Galveston Police Department, located in Galveston County, Texas. I am assigned to the investigation relative to: Joe McKissick, who is being charged with the offense of Improper Visual Record to Arouse/Gratify;
2. Through my investigation, I have reason to believe that Joe McKis-sick, on or about March 29, 2002, in Galveston, Texas, did then and there photograph another without that person’s consent with the intent to gratify his sexual desire, to wit, photographing the buttocks of several female beach goers.
3. Through my investigation, I have reason to believe that on march [sic] 29, 2002, the Galveston Police Department received a report of a man taking photographs of young females. Officer Bobby Steadham and Officer B. Gately responded to the call at 53rd Seawall, Galveston County, Texas, and, after searching for a few minutes, found a subject, later identified as Joe McKissick, who matched the description of the man taking the pictures of the young females.
4. Through my investigation, I have reason to believe that Robert Kite of the Galveston County Sheriffs Department Beach Patrol received a dispatch that a man was taking photographs of young females with a digital camera. Robert Kite observed a man matching the description of the subject taking photographs of young females. As Robert Kite observed the man, later identified as Joe McKissick, take a picture of two 12-14 year old girls from the waist down. He then detained the subject for Galveston Police Officers.
5. Through my investigation I have reason to believe that on March 29, 2002, Officers Steadham and Gately approached the man detained by Robert Kite and identified him as Joe Irvin McKissick, who resides at 509 Brand Lane # 90, Stafford, Fort Bend County, Texas. They asked Joe McKissick if they could view the photographs that he had taken, and Joe McKissick agreed to allow Officers Steadham and Gately to view the photographs.
6. Through my investigations, I have reason to believe that the photographs Officers Steadham and McKissick [sic] viewed on Joe McKissick’s camera were mostly those of ... young female children showing them only from the waist down. There were pictures taken of frontal and rear views. It was obvious the photos were taken without the knowledge or consent of the people. Officers Steadham and Gately informed Joe McKissick that this was possibly a criminal offense and gave him a Miranda warning.
7. Through my investigation, I have reason to believe that when questioned by Officers Steadham and Gately, Joe McKissick denied knowing that taking these photographs *210

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Bluebook (online)
209 S.W.3d 205, 2006 Tex. App. LEXIS 8725, 2006 WL 2864695, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mckissick-v-state-texapp-2006.