# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Don al d Wayne Ble ck le r, Sr.

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i - St . Lou is

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry

16 , 20 13 Fil ed : M arch 28 , 20 13 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re LOKEN, MURPHY, and COLLOTON, Cir cu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ PER CURI AM.

Fo ll owi ng on e vi ct im ’s rep or t of se xu al ab us e to he r m ot he r, a fo ren si c an al y si s of 52 -y ear- ol d Don al d W ay ne Ble ck le r’s co m

pu te rs rev eal edho m e-m ad e vi de os of Bl eck le r sa di st ic al ly to rtu rin g th ree m em be rs of hi s ex te nd ed fam il y who were each

un de r th e ag e of te n, an d m or e th an 60 0 i mag e s o f c h i ld po rn og rap hy. Bl eck le r pl ead ed gu il ty to th ree co un ts of pr od uc in g ch il d po rn og r a p h y a n d on e co un t ofp o ss es si ng ch il d po rn og rap hy in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. §§ 22 51 (a) an d

22 52 A(a)(5 )(B)

. The st at ut or y m ax im um se nt en ce fo r each co un t of pr od uc in g ch il d po rn og rap hy was 30 y ears in pr is on , se e § 22 51 (e), an d fo r th e po ss es si on co un t was 10 y ears , § 22 52 A(b )(2 ). The Pres en te nc e In ve st ig at io n Rep or t (“ PSR” ) cal cu la te d

an ad jus te d to ta l of

fen se le ve l of 43

. The Pro ba ti on Offi cer reco m m en de d m ax im

um
co ns ecu ti ve sen te nc es on each co un t, o r a t ot al of 1 20 0 m on th s i n p ris on

.

At se nt en ci ng , Bl eck le r ur ge d a 36 0- m on th se nt en ce ba se d on hi s ag e, fai li ng he al th , an d acce pt a n c e of res po ns ib il it y

. The go ve rn m en t ur ge d a 10 80 -m on th

s e n t e n c e, em

ph as iz in g th e eg reg io us ne ss of th e of fen se s. The di st ric t co ur t 1

se nt en ced Bl eck le r t o 66 0 m on th s, 20 0 m on th s fo r each pr od uc ti on co un t an d 60

m on th s fo r th e po ss es si on co un t, al l to ru n co ns ecu ti ve ly. The co ur t em ph as iz ed th e
un iq ue ly se ve re na tu re of Bl eck le r’s of fen se an d th e ne ed to pr ov id e ad eq ua te de te rren ce an d ju st pu ni sh m en t fo r eac h v ic ti m :

[U]nfo rtu na te ly, we’ve ha d a nu mb e r of pe op le st an d th ere who ha ve

. . . do ne wha t Mr. Bl eck le r di d bu t n o bo dy to th e ex te nt th at he di d. It st an ds ou t. His co nd uc t i s u ni qu el y ho rri fic

. . . .
Bl eck le r ob

jecte d to th e se nt en ce, re i t e r a t in g th e m it ig at in g as pe ct s of hi s pe rs on al hi st or y . The co ur t re sp on de d:

Und ers to od

. It’s th e Co ur t’s de te rm in at io n, gi ve n th e na tu re an d ci rcu m st an ces of th e of

fe n s e , t h e nu m

be r of vi ct im s, th e ho rri fic an d eg reg io us rep eat ed co nd uc t wit h th os e v ic ti m s, th at whe n y ou ba la nc e al l th e se nt en ci ng fact or s th at it ’s no t su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le an d it i s s u ffi ci en t, bu t no t gr eat er th an ne ces sa ry , to sa ti sf y th e st atu t o r y pu rp os es of s en te nc in g.

The Hon or ab le Ro dn ey W

. Si pp el , Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e East ern 1 Dis tri ct of M is so ur i.
-2

-Bl eck le r ap pe al s, co nt en di ng th e co ur t im po se d a su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le

se nt en ce th at ov erem

ph as iz ed hi s of

fen se co nd uc t an d fai le d to ad equa te ly co ns id er
su bs ta nt ia l m it ig at in g ci rcu m st an ces su ch as hi s ag e, fa il in g he al th , cl ean cri m in al

reco rd , an d pr om

pt acce pt an ce of res po ns ib il it y

. Rev ie win g th is co nt en ti on un de r a de fere nt ia l ab us e of di sc ret io n st an da rd , an d “ ta k[ in g] in to acco un t th e to ta li ty of th e ci rcu m st an ces ,” Gall v. Uni te d St at es , 55 2 U.S. 38 , 51 (2 00 7) , we affi rm

. As we ha ve of te n st at ed , “ The di st ric t co ur t ha s wid e la ti tu de to weig h th e § 35 53 (a) [s en te nc in g] fact or s in each cas e an d as si gn so m e fact or s gr eat er weig ht th an ot he rs in de te rm in in g

an ap pr op r i a t e se nt en ce.” Uni te d St at es v. Bo rro m eo , 65 7 F.3 d 75 4, 75 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 ) (quo ta ti on s om it te d)

. Here, th e co ur t co ns id ered th e m it ig at in g ci rcu m st an ces
ur ge d by Bl eck le r in co nju nc ti on wit h ot he r rel evan t sent en ci ng fact or s an d se nt en ced hi m to 66 0 m on th s in pr is on , a 45 pe rcen t red uc ti on fro m th e reco m m en de d se nt en ce. W it ho ut qu es ti on , th is is a se ve re se nt en ce, in al l li ke li ho od a li fe se nt en ce fo r a 53

- y ear- ol d m an wit h he al th is su es

. Bu t hi s cri m es ag ai ns t th ree y ou ng m em be rs of hi s
ex te nd ed fam il y were rep et it iv e an d tru ly he in ou s. Afte r care fu l rev ie w o f th e
se nt en ci ng reco rd , we co nc lu de th at th is is no t “ th e un us ua l case whe n we rev ers e a di st ric t co ur t s en te nc e -- wh et he r wit hi n, ab ov e, or be lo w th e ap pl ic ab le ran ge -- as
su bs ta nt iv el y un reas on ab le .” Uni te d St at es v. Feem st er, 57 2 F.3 d 45 5, 46 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ) (en ba nc ) (q uo ta ti on s o m it te d)

.

The jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t i s af fir m ed

.

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