United States v. Frederick Stanley Hall, Jr.

312 F.3d 1250, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 23880, 2002 WL 31566733
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedNovember 20, 2002
Docket01-16626
StatusPublished
Cited by101 cases

This text of 312 F.3d 1250 (United States v. Frederick Stanley Hall, Jr.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Frederick Stanley Hall, Jr., 312 F.3d 1250, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 23880, 2002 WL 31566733 (11th Cir. 2002).

Opinion

HULL, Circuit Judge:

Defendant Frederick Stanley Hall, Jr. appeals his convictions for distribution and receipt of child pornography by computer through interstate or foreign commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2) (2000). Hall also appeals the district court’s order forfeiting his computer. The government cross-appeals the district court’s denial of the sentencing enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(3) (2001) for the trafficking of materials that portray sadistic or masochistic conduct. After review and oral argument, we affirm Hall’s convictions on all counts, but we vacate his sentence and remand this case to the district court for re-sentencing.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Seized Computer in Texas

In 2000, law enforcement officials from the police department in Corpus Christi, Texas seized a computer from a resident of Corpus Christi suspected of distributing child pornography over the Internet. The suspected individual had an account with America Online, Inc. (hereinafter “AOL”) and had the following electronic mail address (or “screen name”): “youngdad37.” A computer forensic specialist, employed by the police department, extracted child pornographic images from the hard drive of that individual’s computer.

Some of the child pornographic images extracted from the seized computer — government exhibits 4A through 4K — had *1253 been exchanged between “youngdad37” and another AOL user, with the screen name “hello im beth.” These images depict: (1) an adult male vaginally penetrating a young girl (4A; 4B); (2) minors performing oral sex on adult males (4C; 4D; 41; 4J); (3) a minor masturbating an adult male (4E); (4) a minor lewdly and lasciviously exposing her genitalia (4F); and (5) minors engaged in sexual activities with adult males (4G; 4H; 4K).

B.Seized Computer in Florida

Further investigation revealed that the screen name “hello im beth” was registered to Phyllis Hotaling, an AOL customer residing in Brandon, Florida. The police department in Corpus Christi contacted Detective Phillipe Dubord of the sheriffs office in Hillsborough County, Florida and informed him that an individual in Brandon was involved in trading child pornography. Dubord ascertained that the defendant Hall, Hotaling’s son, resided with his mother in Brandon. Du-bord also learned that Hotaling’s account contained other screen names, including the screen name “nytewalker666,” which the government later used at trial to link Hall to the child pornographic images. The sheriffs office then obtained a warrant to search Hotaling’s home.

On February 5, 2001, Detective Dubord and other law enforcement officials executed the search warrant at Hotaling’s residence in Brandon, Florida. They removed some diskettes and two computers, including one located in Hall’s bedroom. They also interviewed the occupants of Hotal-ing’s home and ascertained that Hall was the person likely responsible for trading child pornography.

Detective Dubord and another law enforcement official informed Hall of his Miranda 1 rights, which Hall waived after signing an FBI form advising him of his rights. They interviewed Hall in his bedroom, and he admitted that he had been using AOL for approximately a year. Hall also acknowledged that he used AOL screen names “hello im beth” and “nyte-walker666,” among other screen names.

During the interview, Detective Dubord showed Hall child pornographic images and asked Hall if he had seen them before. Hall admitted that he had sent or received some of the child pornographic images. Hall initialed the ones that he recalled having sent or received. These images, with Hall’s initials on them, were later marked as government exhibits 4A through 4K and introduced into evidence during Hall’s trial.

C. Indictment

On May 7, 2001, a grand jury indicted Hall for violating 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2) (2000) as follows: (1) distribution and receipt of child pornography through interstate commerce by a computer on January 3, 2000 (Count One); (2) receipt of child pornography through interstate commerce by a computer on January 6, 2000 (Count Two); and (3) distribution of child pornography through interstate commerce by a computer on January 8, 2000 (Count Three). The indictment also contained a forfeiture count, which charged that Hall shall forfeit his interest in, inter alia, his computer for his engagement in the violations alleged in Counts One through Three.

D. Pre-Trial

Prior to trial, the government provided written notice of its intent to introduce a videotaped interview pursuant to Rules 404(b) and 807 of the Federal Rules of *1254 Evidence. The interview was of a four-year old girl who was the victim in a pending State of Florida case against Hall for lewd and lascivious molestation and sexual battery on a victim less than 12 years of age. According to the district court, the girl states in the videotape that Hall “licked [her] pee-pee” and demonstrates physically how she touched Hall.

Hall moved to exclude this evidence from use during his trial. Hall argued that the evidence would only inflame, confuse, and mislead the jury and maintained that the probative value of the evidence was substantially outweighed by its prejudice. In response, the government argued that the evidence was probative of Hall’s interest in children and, consequently, probative of his intent in receiving and distributing child pornography. The government also maintained that it should be permitted to introduce the evidence in its case-in-chief because Hall had pled not guilty and placed his intent directly at issue. The government contended that any undue prejudice could be dispelled by a limiting instruction to the jury.

After conducting a hearing and viewing the videotape, the district court entered a pre-trial order determining that the evidence was relevant and admissible, under Rules 404(b) and 807, to prove Hall’s intent, knowledge, and lack of mistake or accident “in the event [that Hall] asserts lack of intent as a defense.” In such a situation, the district court concluded that “the probative value of the videotape exceeds its prejudicial effect and does not violate Fed.R.Evid. 403.” The district court also provided Hall an opportunity to cross-examine the child before trial.

E. Trial

On the day of trial and before the jury was impaneled, the parties informed the district court that they had come to an understanding concerning the admission of the videotaped interview of the child. They advised the court that the government would not seek to introduce the evidence in its case-in-chief but that it would do so in its rebuttal case if Hall raised a defense such as intent or mistake.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
312 F.3d 1250, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 23880, 2002 WL 31566733, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-frederick-stanley-hall-jr-ca11-2002.