FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P E A LS E LE V EN T HC IRC U IT SEPTEMBER 22, 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 11886 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 5 - 0 0 0 9 2 - CR- FTM - 2 9 - SPC U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s W I L L I A M A L L E N L A N E , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 22, 2006) B efo re C A RN E S , M A R C U S an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: W illia m L a n e ap p e a ls h is c o n v ic tio n f o rtr a n s p o r tin g c h ild p o rn o g r ap h y , in vi ol a t i on of

18 U . S . C . § 225 2 (a)( 1) a nd ( b) ( 1) . O n appe a l , L a ne a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tl a c ke d j ur i s di c t i on ove rhi s c a s e be c a us e h i s c onduc tc oul d notbe2

p r o s c r ib e d c o n s i s t e n t w i th th e lim its o f th e C o m m e r c e C la u s e . H e a s s e r ts th a t h is di s tr i but i on of

c h i l d pornogr aphy ove rthe i nt e rne tw a s pur e l y i ntr a s t a t e , a nd C o n g r e s s ’s p o w e rto r e g u la te th e “u s e ” o f t h e “ c h a n n e ls ” o f in te r s ta te c o m m e r c e to pr e ve nti m m or a l ori nj ur i ous us e s doe s note xt e nd t o the r e gul a t i on of

“ i nstrum ent al i t i es ” of c om m er ce . A cc ordi ng t o L ane, hi s i nt ernetcond uc t w as pu re l y i ntra st at e and i nv ol ved use of an “ i nstrum ent al i ty” of com m er ce , ra the r than a “ c h a n n e l ” o f

c o mme r c e . A f

t e rc a r e f u l r e v i e w , w e a f

f i r m. B e c a us e L a ne r a i s e s hi s C om m e r c e C l au se arg u m e ntf orthe f i r s tt i m e on appe a l , ou r rev i ew i s f orpl a i n e rr or . S e e U ni t e d S t a t e s v. P e t e r s , 403 F . 3d 1263, 1 2 7 0 - 7 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) ( r e v ie w in g f o rp l a in e rr o rd e f

e n d a n t’s c h a lle n g e to h is co n v icti o n o n th e g r o u n d th at 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 2 (d )( 1 ) e x ce ed ed C o n g re ss ’s C om m e r c e C l a us e pow e r ) . T o de m ons tr a t e pl a i n erro r, L a ne “ m us ts how tha t : ( 1) a n e rr oroc c urr e d; ( 2) the e rr orw a s pl a i n; ( 3) i ta f f e c t e d hi s s ubs t a nt i a l r i ght s ; a nd (4) i tse ri ou sl y a ff

ec t ed the fa i rnes s of the j ud i ci al proceedi ng s. ” S ee U ni t ed S t at es v . G r e s h a m , 3 2 5 F .3 d 1 2 6 2 , 1 2 6 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . A n e rr o r i s n o t p l a i n u n le s s it i s c o ntr a ry t o pr e c e de ntdi r e c t l y r e s ol vi ng a l e ga l i s s ue . U ni t e d S t a t e s v. L ej ar de-R ada, 31 9 F . 3d 12 88 , 12 91 (11th C i r. 20 03 ). T h e r el evantfa ct s a re stra i gh t forw ar d. O n A ug ust31 , 20 05 , L ane w as in d ic te d f

o rp o s s e s s in g c h ild p o rn o g r ap h y ( C o u n t O n e ) , in v io la tio n o f 1 8 U .S .C . §3

2 2 5 2 ( a ) ( 4 ) ( B ) a n d ( b ) ( 2 ) , a n d tr a n s p o r tin g c h ild p o rn o g r ap h y ( C o u n t T w o ) , in vi ol a t i on of

18 U . S . C . § 2252( a ) ( 1) a nd ( b) ( 2) . I n a w r i tt e n pl e a a gr e e m e nt , L a ne p le d g u ilty to C o u n t T w o a n d th e g o v e rn m e n t d is m is s e d C o u n t O n e . In the agree m ent , L ane a l so st i pu l at ed t o a fa ctual basis fo r hi s pl ea . A c c o r d in g to t h i s s t ip u la tio n , o n o rab o u t A u g u s t 2 6 , 2 0 0 5 , L a n e k n o w in g ly tra nspo rt ed chi l d p orno graphy i n i nt er st at e c om m er ce by send i ng , vi a hi s i nt ernet se rvi ce prov i der, A m er i caO nl i ne (A O L ), w hi ch i s l ocat ed i n V i rgi ni a, fourt ee n i m ages of chi l d p o rn o g ra ph y, i ncl ud i ng i m ages show i ng prepub es ce ntm al es engaged i n fon dl i ng , fe l l at i o, and anal i nt er course. L ane, w ho l i ved i n N orth F ort M y e r s , s e n t th e c h ild p o rn o g r ap h y to R ic h a r d F r a n k lin , w h o a l s o liv e d in N o r th F o rtM yers an d w h o su b seq u en t l y n o t i fi ed th e a u th o ri t i es. L at er th atsam e d ay, L ane t ol d Fr a nk l i n tha t he ha d pi c tur e s of c hi l dr e n r a ng i ng f r om s i x t o si xt ee n y e a r s ol d, a nd tha the h ad m ad e tw o c om put e rdi s ks f orF r a nkl i n, one c ont a i ni ng ab o u t 4 0 0 p ic tu r e s a n d th e o th e rc o n ta in in g ab o u t 3 5 0 p ic tu r e s . L a n e s u b s e q u e n tly t ol d F r a nkl i n nott o dow nl oa d the i m a ge s o n h i s co m put e r , butt o ke e p the m on the d is k s . L a n e a ls o in d ic a te d th a t, in a ll, h e h a d ab o u t 4 ,0 0 0 to 5 ,0 0 0 c h ild po rnog raph i c i m ages . A fter h is arre st , L ane t ol d autho ri t i es thathe had o bt ai ned th e im a g e s b y s e a r c h in g a n in te rn e t s i t e m a i n ta in e d b y Y a h o o , w h ic h is lo c a te d in4

C a l i f orni a . T h e d i st ri ctc our ta c c e pt e d L a ne ’ s pl e a , a nd s e nt e nc e d hi m t o a 240- m onth t e r m of

i m pr i s onm e nt . T hi s appe a l f ol l ow e d. T he U . S . C on st i tut i on gi ves C on gres s the po w er“ [t ] o regul at e C om m er ce w ith f o r e ig n N a tio n s , a n d a m o n g th e s e v e r a l S ta te s , a n d w ith th e I n d ia n T r ib e s .” U . S . C on st . A rt . I, § 8 , C l 3. T h e S u p re m e C ou rthas i dent i fi ed the fol l ow i ng three broad cat egori es of ac t i vi ty thatC on gres s m ay re gu l at e und er the C om m er ce pow e r : ( 1) “ the us e of the c ha nne l s of

i nt e r s t a t e c om m e r c e ; ” ( 2) “ the in s tru m e n ta litie s o f

in te r s ta te c o m m e r c e , o rp e r s o n s o rth in g s in in te r s ta te c o m m e r c e ;” a n d ( 3 ) “a c tiv itie s th a t s u b s ta n tia lly a f f e c t in te r s ta te c o m m e r c e .” U n ite d S ta te s v . L o p e z , 5 1 4 U .S . 5 4 9 , 5 5 8 - 5 5 9 ( 1 9 9 5 ) ( in te rn a l c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . As f o rL a n e ’ s a r g u m e n tth a th i s c o n d u c twa s p u r e l y i n tr a s t a t e i n n a tu r e , we have hel d that“ C on gres s c l ea rl y has the po w ert o regul at e the i nt ernet , as i tdo es o th er i n stru m en t al i t i es an d ch an n el s o f i n t erst at e co m m erce, and t o p ro h i b i ti t s u se f orha r m f ul ori m m or a l purpos e s r e ga r dl e s s of w he the rthos e purpos e s w oul d ha ve a pr i m a r i l y i ntr a s t a t e i m pa c t . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. H orna da y , 392 F . 3d 13 0 6 , 1311 ( 11th C i r . 2004) , c e r t . de ni e d, 125 S . C t . 2951 ( 2005) ; s e e a l s o U n i t e d S t a t e s v. B al l i ng er , 39 5 F . 3d 12 18 , 12 25 (11th C i r. ) ( en banc) (“P lain l y, cong re ss i on al pow e rt o r e gul at e the c ha nne l s a nd i ns trum e nt a l i t i e s of c om m e r c e i nc l ude s the p o w e rto p r o h ib it th e iru s e f o rh a r m f u l p u rp o s e s , e v e n if

th e ta r g e te d h a r m its e lfWe also observethat the factual stipulation belies L ane’ s contention that his conduct 1 wa s p ure ly

int ra statein n ature . L anea dmitte d b oth that heus e d AO L and that AOL wa s loc ate d in Virg ini a . H efu

rt her admitte d th at he us ed a Y aho o s e arch eng ineand that Y aho o w a s lo c ate d in California. Cf. United States v. Drury, 396 F.3d 1303, 1312- 13 (11th Cir.) (holdingthat routingof c e llular p ho nec all s fro m Georg ia , through F lorida sw itc hingc e nter, and

then b a c k toGe org ia satisfied interstate -nexus requirement), cert. denied, 126 S. Ct. 336 (2005). 5 oc c ur s out s i de the f

l ow of c om m e r c e a nd i s pur e l y l oc a l i n na tur e. ”), cert . de ni e d, 1 2 6 S. Ct . 3 6 8 ( 2 0 0 5 ) . M o r e o v e r , i n o r d e rt o e f f e c tu a t e a c o mp r e h e n s i v e s c h e me to el i m i n at e th e m ark et fo r ch i l d p o rn o g rap h y, “ i t i s w i th i n C o n g ress’ s au th o ri ty to re gu l at e a l l i ntra st at e posse ss i on o f chi l d p orno graphy, no tj ustthatw hi ch has tr a ve l e d i n i nt e r s t a t e c om m e r c e orha s be e n pr oduc e d us i ng m a t e r i a l s tha tha ve tr a ve l e d i n i nt e r s t a t e c om m e r c e . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. M a xw e l l , 446 F . 3d 1210, 1217- 1 8 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) ( e m p h a s is a d d e d ) ( ap p ly in g G o n z a le z v . R a ic h , 5 4 5 U .S . 1 (200 5)). 1 P ur s ua ntt o ourc ontr ol l i ng pr e c e d e nton the s ubj e c t , C ongr e s s pos s e s s e d the pow e rt o pr os c r i be L a ne ’ s di s tr i but i on of c hi l d pornogr aphy ove rthe i nt e rne t , a nd, a c c or di ngl y , the di s t ri ctc our t ’ s e xe r c i s e of j ur i s di c t i on ove rthi s c a s e w a s not p l ai n l y erro n eo u s. AF F I RME D.