United States v. Klear

3 F. Supp. 3d 1298, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21783, 2014 WL 676627
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Alabama
DecidedFebruary 21, 2014
DocketCriminal Action No. 3:13cr122-MHT
StatusPublished

This text of 3 F. Supp. 3d 1298 (United States v. Klear) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Klear, 3 F. Supp. 3d 1298, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21783, 2014 WL 676627 (M.D. Ala. 2014).

Opinion

[1300]*1300OPINION

MYRON H. THOMPSON, District Judge.

Defendant Tyson Scott Klear possessed significant numbers of digital images and videos portraying child pornography, which he distributed without compensation over a peer-to-peer computer network. Klear pled guilty to one count of knowingly distributing child pornography in interstate commerce, 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2). The court continued the hearing and reserved ruling on Klear’s motion for a variance and his final sentence. For the reasons discussed below, the court will grant his motion. Klear should receive a sentence of nine years, rather than the United States Sentencing Guideline minimum of 12 years and seven months.

I. BACKGROUND

Klear began collecting digital child pornography during or before April 2009. In that month, his employer discovered pornographic images of underage boys on a shared computer in the workplace and called the FBI. The images were in a specially labeled folder. The employer also noticed that someone had accessed an email address associated with Klear around the same time as the images were downloaded to the computer. However, when an FBI agent interviewed Klear, he denied any knowledge of child pornography, and the agent found no child pornography on Klear’s home computer.

FBI investigators regularly peruse peer-to-peer file-sharing networks in order to identify individuals who possess and distribute child pornography. On three separate instances in 2010, 2011, and 2012, FBI agents identified a user of the GigaTribe sharing network with the screenname ThirstyThurston4 as possessing and sharing child pornography. On each occasion, the agent was able to download child pornography from ThirstyThurston4’s computer. During the third and final occasion, on September 12, 2012, an agent noticed a password-protected folder that ThirstyT-hurston4 was sharing on GigaTribe. The agent communicated with ThirstyThur-ston4 in the program’s chat and requested the password. ThirstyThurston4 provided the password, allowing the agent to access the folder, which contained child pornography. FBI agents traced the user to IP addresses that were registered to Klear’s next-door neighbor’s wireless internet router.

When the FBI agents connected Klear’s previous interview with the fact that he lived next to the ThirstyThurston4 IP address, they sought a search warrant for his residence. The search revealed two computers with approximately 1,000 images and 300-400 videos of child pornography, of which the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 235 pictures and 49 videos as part of child-pornography series portraying known victims.

At the sentencing hearing, the government, probation, and defense counsel agreed that Klear’s collection was larger than the average collection in a child-pornography case, but not at the extreme high end of all cases. They also agreed that a significant percentage of the collection represented pre-pubescent minors, but not very young children or infants. A very small percentage represented sadomasochistic and violent treatment of minors.

Klear offered the testimony of an expert witness, Dr. Suzonne Kline. Dr. Kline is a clinical psychologist who was previously the administrator of Florida’s Sexually Violent Predator Program. She testified that, in that capacity, she evaluated numerous sex offenders with various characteristics in order to determine their potential dangerousness to the community. In her evaluation of Klear, she determined that, although he does experience attrac[1301]*1301tion to minors, he does not pose a significant danger of engaging in a “contact offense.” In other words, Klear is unlikely to molest a minor physically. Furthermore, she testified that with proper treatment, Klear would be unlikely to seek, possess, or distribute child pornography.

Finally, Dr. Kline and Klear’s counsel attributed Klear’s interest in child pornography to an adolescent sexual experience. When he was 13, Klear was pressured by a slightly older male peer to engage in sexual behavior over the course of a weekend. Dr. Kline testified that this experience stunted Klear’s emotional and sexual development.

II. DISCUSSION

Klear’s crime of conviction carries a potential custodial sentence of 5-20 years (60-240 months). 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(b)(l). In a binding plea agreement under Fed.R. Crim.P. 11(c)(1)(C), the government agreed to seek a sentence no higher than the very bottom of the range calculated by applying the United States Sentencing Guidelines, paired with a lifetime term of supervised relief. As described below, the bottom of the Guideline range is 151 months, that is, 12 years and seven months. Probation concurred with the government’s recommendation.

Klear sought a downward variance to 63-78 months. Klear provided three main reasons that the court should grant such a variance: his low risk of recidivism and lower risk of a “contact offense”; the failure of the Guidelines to distinguish adequately among non-production child-pornography offenders; and the inability of Klear to receive ideal mental-health treatment while incarcerated.

A. Klear’s Guidelines Calculations

The Base Offense level for Klear’s conviction, 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2), is 22. U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(a)(2).

Klear also qualifies for five Special Offense Characteristics, leading to a total 15-level increase as follows:

• Because some of the files on his computer portrayed pre-pubescent minors, he receives a two-level increase. U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(2).
• Because he distributed the files but without monetary gain or distribution to a minor, he receives a two-level increase. U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(3)(F).
• Because some of the files on his computer showed sadistic and violent conduct, he receives a four-level increase. U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(4).
• Because he used a computer to possess and distribute the pornography, he receives a two-level increase. U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(6).
• Finally, Klear had at least 235 images and 49 videos of child pornography. Under § 2G2.2 comment n. 4(B)(1) and (ii), each video counts as at least 75 images. Therefore, Klear had many more than 600 images as counted by the Guideline, and he receives a 5-level increase. U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(7)(D)

Before adjustments or departures, Klear’s offense level is 37 (22 + 15). However, he received a three-level downward adjustment for acceptance of responsibility. U.S.S.G. § 3E1.1. Therefore, his final offense level is 34. Since Klear has minimal Criminal History, he was in Criminal History Category I, resulting in a Guideline sentence range of 151-188 months.1

[1302]*1302B. Judicial Discretion in Sentencing

Having reviewed the Guidelines calculation, the court must now determine a reasonable sentence.

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Bluebook (online)
3 F. Supp. 3d 1298, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21783, 2014 WL 676627, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-klear-almd-2014.