State v. Ehli

115 Wash. App. 556
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedFebruary 11, 2003
DocketNo. 20171-6-III
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 115 Wash. App. 556 (State v. Ehli) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Ehli, 115 Wash. App. 556 (Wash. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

Sweeney, J. —

A sentencing court has the discretion to find two or more current offenses to be the “same criminal conduct” provided there is identity of time, place, and victims. Former RCW 9.94A.400(l)(a) (2000), recodified as RCW 9.94A.589(l)(a). Here, David Ehli downloaded and transmitted multiple images of different young children having sex with adults. The question is whether the children’s lack of knowledge of the downloading or the State’s failure to identify the particular victims renders the crime “victimless” for purposes of a “same criminal conduct” determination. It does not. And so we affirm the conviction and sentence.

FACTS

Mr. Ehli assigns no error to any of the court’s findings entered following a bench trial on stipulated facts. The findings are, then, verities on appeal,1 and form the basis of our recitation of the facts here.

The National Missing Children’s Clearing House and Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force reported to the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office that an Internet site originating in southeastern Washington was dealing or posting depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force tracked the postings down to the Clarkston residence of David C. Ehli. Police searched the residence pursuant to a warrant.

Ten photographic images were found in Mr. Ehli’s possession. Mr. Ehli was informed of his constitutional rights and confessed. He created and operated an Internet “club site” where he posted child pornography and solicited children [559]*559for sex. Mr. Ehli authored and administered the site. A sheriff’s investigator downloaded three images from this site to support the dealing charge. That these graphic images constituted child pornography was never at issue.

The State charged Mr. Ehli with three felony counts: sexual exploitation of a minor, dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On December 18, 2000, the State filed an amended information charging Mr. Ehli with seven additional counts of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

By agreement, the State dropped the sexual exploitation charge and four counts of possession of depictions. And the dealing and four remaining counts of possession were tried on stipulated facts. Mr. Ehli was convicted of one count of dealing and four counts of possession of depictions.

At sentencing, Mr. Ehli argued that possession of the four photos constituted the same criminal conduct — a single possession count, not four, for sentencing purposes. But the judge concluded that each possession count involved a depiction of a different juvenile female victim. Mr. Ehli was sentenced to 48 months on an offender score of 4. An offender score of 1 would have given him a standard range of 21 to 27 months.

DISCUSSION

Same Criminal Conduct

Standard of Review. Where, as here, the facts are not disputed, our review is limited to whether the sentencing judge correctly applied the “same criminal conduct” provisions of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981 (SRA), chapter 9.94A RCW, to these facts. So our review here is de novo. State v. Avila, 102 Wn. App. 882, 888, 10 P.3d 486 (2000).

[560]*560Same Criminal Conduct. When imposing a sentence for two or more current offenses,2 the court determines the sentence range for each current offense by using all other current and prior convictions as if they were prior convictions for the purpose of the offender score. That is, unless the court finds that some or all of the current offenses encompass the “same criminal conduct.” Former RCW 9.94A.400(l)(a). Offenses encompassing the same criminal conduct count as one crime. “Same criminal conduct” “means two or more crimes that require the same criminal intent, are committed at the same time and place, and involve the same victim.” Former RCW 9.94A.400(l)(a).

Mr. Ehli does not dispute the finding that different children were depicted in his pictures. He argues that the children were not victims at all under the SRA. Mr. Ehli contends that possession of these materials is a victimless crime because (a) the subjects have no individual subjective awareness of any particular instance of Internet downloading, and (b) the State cannot identify the particular victims.

First, the State is not required to establish the identity of the child. RCW 9.68A. 110(5).

“[T]he prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of children constitutes a government objective of surpassing importance. The care of children is a sacred trust and should not be abused by those who seek commercial gain or personal gratification based on the exploitation of children.” RCW 9.68A.001; State v. Davis, 53 Wn. App. 502, 504 n.2, 768 P.2d 499 (1989). By defining the crime of “sexual exploitation of a child,” chapter 9.68A RCW, the legislature necessarily incorporates the child victim in the definition. The knowing possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct constitutes sexual exploitation of a child. RCW 9.68A.070. And pornography is sexual exploitation that victimizes the child. Davis, 53 Wn. App. at 505; State v. Hicks, 77 Wn. App. 1, 4, 888 P.2d 1235 (1995) (“In most instances, a child who is photographed in a state of [561]*561undress and whose picture is then disseminated for viewing pleasure is a victim.” (dictum)).

Both federal and state jurisdictions have held that children exploited by pornographers are victims who suffer physiological, emotional, and mental damage. New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S. 747, 758, 102 S. Ct. 3348, 73 L. Ed. 2d 1113 (1982); Felton v. State, 526 So. 2d 635, 636 (Ala. Crim. App. 1986), aff’d, 526 So. 2d 638 (Ala. 1988). Distribution of the photographs constitutes sexual abuse by creating and distributing a permanent record. Ferber, 458 U.S. at 759-60. The victim’s knowledge that the images are in circulation increases the emotional and psychic harm suffered. Id. at 760 n.10.

The images here are actual photographs of living prepubescent children.

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Bluebook (online)
115 Wash. App. 556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ehli-washctapp-2003.