Wednesday, December 05, 2007

U.S. v. Holt (9th Cir. - Dec. 5, 2007)

Let me just make this clear. "Horneygirl14" -- or any other similar screen name -- doesn't describe an actual 14-year old girl on the other end of the internet. It's a 34-year old man. Or the FBI. Understand?

So let's say that you're, oh, I don't know, a 45-year old podiatrist. Let me give you a list of things not to do: (1) Have sexually provocative chats with an alleged 13-year old over the internet over a six-month period; (2) Eventually reveal your true age (after pretending to be a 19-year old "stud") and identity to the unknown person on the other end of the line; (3) Transmit video footage of yourself masterbating to said alleged 13-year old; (4) Travel for planned sex with said (needless to say, fictional) 13-year old. Because -- and this will SHOCK you -- you're going to get arrested. Even if you don't cross state lines. Even if winters in Montana are cold.

Because, my friend, 10 years in prison is a lot colder. And that's what you're going to get.

Especially if -- and, of course, why wouldn't this be the case -- once they arrest you, they search your home computer and find (surprise, surprise) child pornography. Oops.

Weird sex stuff leads people to make irrational decisions sometimes, huh? Like here.