Opinion ID: 220473
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Sex Trafficking of Children (Count V)

Text: Daniels challenges his conviction for sex trafficking of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1591(a), claiming that the government failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew the alleged victims were minors. Section 1591(a) punishes a person who: knowingly [] in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce ... recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means a person ... knowing that ... the person has not attained the age of 18 years and will be caused to engage in a commercial sex act[.] (emphasis added). Unlike § 2423(a), the statute requires the government to prove knowledge of age. Daniels argues that he tried to avoid associating with minors, and that the underage prostitutes lied about their ages. The government, however, presented direct evidence that Daniels knew that some of the girls were under 18 when they worked as prostitutes. HH, ReH, and RaH all testified that they told either Daniels or Head that they were underage. Head also testified that Daniels thought that the sisters were 17  older than their true ages, but underage nonetheless. A notebook introduced as evidence listed the ages of HH and ReH as 17. Viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, as we must, we believe a rational juror could have credited the witnesses' testimony and concluded that the government proved the age element. We therefore affirm Daniels's conviction on Count V.