United States v. Sabino Antonio Rubio

834 F.2d 442
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 13, 1988
Docket87-1255
StatusPublished
Cited by79 cases

This text of 834 F.2d 442 (United States v. Sabino Antonio Rubio) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth 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. Sabino Antonio Rubio, 834 F.2d 442 (5th Cir. 1988).

Opinion

GOLDBERG, Circuit Judge:

Though defendant-appellant Rubio alleges several grounds of error, this appeal presents only two difficult questions: whether it was reversible error for the district court to refuse Rubio’s proposed jury instructions defining certain elements of the offense, and whether, without governmental inducement, Rubio would have been predisposed to commit both offenses charged. Finding that defendant was not deprived of an opportunity to have the jury *445 consider his theory of defense, that he was predisposed to both send and receive child pornography through the mails, and further finding the other grounds of appeal without merit, we Affirm.

I. Facts

Sabino Antonio Rubio (“Rubio”) served in the armed forces during the late 1960s. During his tour of duty he worked his way up from enlisted man to Captain. In 1970, he received a “penetrating head wound secondary to a grenade explosion.... [H]e was in a coma for a number of days following this [and] had a neurosurgical procedure done to remove ... contused brain and grenade fragments.... [L]ater, there was a second neurosurgical procedure performed to put a plastic plate in his skull.” (R. Vol. Ill, p. 42). According to psychiatric evidence presented at trial, this injury did not render him insane, but affected his vision and produced certain forms of compulsive behavior. As one manifestation of this compulsive behavior, Rubio became a collector; he collected hats, which he wore initially to cover the scar on his head, and he collected pornographic books and mov--ies, some of which included graphic depictions of children engaged in sexual acts.

Upon discharge from the military, Rubio went to work as a fingerprint technician for the Austin, Texas Police Department. Later he was promoted to patrolman. The grenade wound did not interfere with performance of his duties, and despite his impaired vision he was able to drive a patrol car.

Between August 10 and August 23, 1983 United States Customs Officials working at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York seized three magazines depicting sexually explicit behavior by children, mailed from Sweden and addressed to a post office box in Austin, Texas rented by Rubio. In May of 1984 Customs Officials seized twelve illustrated advertisements addressed to the same post office box, and finally in December of 1984 customs officials seized yet another illustrated advertisement addressed to Rubio’s post office box. As a result of these four seizures, the U.S. Customs Service informed Postal Inspector Clyde Davis that they suspected Rubio of violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252 and 2255, which prohibit the knowing mailing and receipt of pornographic materials involving children. 1 Davis then asked Postal Inspector Wayne Meyers to initiate a testing procedure. Meyers sent Rubio an introductory letter and questionnaire from Freedom’s Choice, a fictitious organization used by the postal service to investigate subjects believed to be engaged in mailing or receiving child pornography. The questionnaire sought to ascertain Rubio’s sexual interests and offered to match him with others similarly interested. Rubio returned the question-aire to Freedom’s Choice and indicated that his interests were in the area of teen and pre-teen heterosexual material.

Because of Rubio’s response, Inspector Meyers sent a follow-up letter informing Rubio that he had been assigned code number 4592, and that his interests had been matched to another member of Freedom’s Choice, code number 4442, with whom he could correspond. Rubio did not respond to this letter.

When no response was received, Inspector Davis wrote to Rubio. Davis used Ru-bio’s code number and introduced himself as Eric Koch. Davis/Koch informed Rubio that he had learned about him through Freedom’s Choice, and expressed interest in trading materials dealing with “youngsters.” Rubio did respond to Davis’s letter and expressed an interest in obtaining ma *446 terial dealing with teens and pre-teens. Rubio signed this letter “Dino.”

In the time between Rubio’s response to the Freedom’s Choice questionnaire, and his response to Davis/Koch’s letter, customs officials seized yet another group of materials addressed to Rubio. As a result of this seizure, Davis, as Eric Koch, wrote another letter to Rubio. Again, Rubio did not respond.

Three months later, in April of 1985, Rubio wrote an unsolicited letter in response to an advertisement placed in “Wonderland,” a publication catering to people with an interest in teen or pre-teen sex. In his letter Rubio, this time signing the letter “Tony Martinez,” again expressed an interest in trading material involving children. Coincidentally, the “Wonderland” advertisement had also been placed by Inspector Davis, this time using the name Carl R. David. Davis/David wrote Rubio, expressing a desire to make a videotape collecting material dealing with child pornography as soon as he could find a film or two to make it worthwhile. Davis/David offered to share the tape with Rubio if they continued with their correspondence. Rubio did not respond to the letter.

Postal inspectors did not attempt any further contact for seventeen months. In September 1986, however, they seized yet another magazine, entitled “Mini Love,” addressed to Rubio. Inspector Davis then had another introductory letter and sexual preference questionnaire sent to Rubio, in the name of “Tony Martinez,” from another fictitious club, the Society of Americans for Family and Youth (“SAFY”). The purpose of this letter was to determine if “Dino” and “Tony Martinez” were the same person. The day after the SAFY material was mailed, Inspector Davis, again using the name Eric Koch, wrote Rubio. Davis/Koch offered to sell Rubio six magazines depicting pre-teen and teen sexual activity for $125. He also sent Ru-bio a price list with descriptions of seven films which he was willing to sell Rubio. Davis/Koch asked to borrow the film that Rubio had mentioned in previous letters.

Rubio responded to both the questionnaire and the letter from Davis/Koch. In response to the questionnaire Rubio again indicated that he was interested in teenage and pre-teenage girls. In response to the letter, Rubio mailed Davis/Koch a film involving two children called “Advanced Young Sex.” Rubio also agreed to buy the magazines that Davis/Koch had offered to sell him.

At this point Inspector Davis went to the Austin post office to observe Rubio picking up the mail at his post office box. On September 16, the inspectors decided to attempt a controlled delivery. Inspector Davis put together two separate packages, one containing the magazine, entitled “Mini Love,” seized earlier in the month, and the other containing the magazines that Rubio had asked Davis/Koch to send him. Rubio claimed both packages, walked to his car and opened one of the packages. While Rubio was in his car, examining the contents of one of the packages, the inspectors arrested him.

Rubio was tried and convicted of two counts of violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

United States v. Charles Hillie
39 F.4th 674 (D.C. Circuit, 2021)
United States v. Clyde Pontefract
515 F. App'x 327 (Fifth Circuit, 2013)
United States v. Wallenfang
568 F.3d 649 (Eighth Circuit, 2009)
State v. Brabson
7 So. 3d 1119 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2008)
United States v. Caldwell
257 F. App'x 764 (Fifth Circuit, 2007)
United States v. Roderick
62 M.J. 425 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2006)
State v. Mohapatra
880 A.2d 802 (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 2005)
Purcell v. Commonwealth
149 S.W.3d 382 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2004)
United States v. Campbell
81 F. App'x 532 (Sixth Circuit, 2003)
United States v. Howard
245 F. Supp. 2d 24 (District of Columbia, 2003)
United States v. Bartos
51 F. App'x 957 (Sixth Circuit, 2002)
United States v. Fox
293 F.3d 237 (Fifth Circuit, 2001)
United States v. Villasenor
236 F.3d 220 (Fifth Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Carroll
227 F.3d 486 (Fifth Circuit, 2000)
United States v. Reinhart
Fifth Circuit, 2000
United States v. Barnett
Fifth Circuit, 1999
Alexander v. State
749 So. 2d 1031 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
834 F.2d 442, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-sabino-antonio-rubio-ca5-1988.