Opinion ID: 47622
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 8 So long as a rational jury could have found the elements of each offense proven beyond a reasonable doubt, this court must uphold the verdict. United States v. Gonzales, 436 F.3d 560, 571 (5th Cir.2006). To prove a Mann Act violation, the government must prove that engaging in illicit sexual activity was one of the efficient and compelling purposes of the travel. United States v. Garcia-Lopez, 234 F.3d 217, 220 (5th Cir.2000) (internal quotation omitted); see also Mortensen v. United States, 322 U.S. 369, 374, 64 S.Ct. 1037, 88 L.Ed. 1331 (1944) (requiring illicit sexual activity to be a dominant motive of the travel). Hitt and Causey contend that the government's case regarding intent is based entirely upon circumstantial evidence. Both argue that, instead of any illicit purpose, the trip's purpose was to attend the Independence Bowl football game and that, assuming sexual activity did occur, it was spontaneous. 9 The government presented sufficient circumstantial evidence from which a jury could rationally conclude that Hitt and Causey had the illicit intent necessary to support the Mann Act convictions. The government presented expert testimony by Dr. Seiden that persons who sexually abuse children engage in a grooming process designed to reduce resistance to sexual advances. This process, according to testimony, includes gift-giving, isolating the victim from his guardians, and activity designed to desensitize the victim to sexual advances, e.g., touching in an innocuous manner and thereafter escalating the sexual nature of the touches. Evidence was presented regarding Hitt and Causey's grooming of AV prior to the Independence Bowl trip: (1) that Hitt and Causey had purchased gifts for the victim, including dinners and a sweater, and (2) that Hitt had touched AV's buttocks. It is clear that AV was not accompanied on the Independence Bowl trip by his guardians, thus indicating that AV was isolated, at least physically, from his guardians. Evidence was also presented from which the jury could infer that Hitt and Causey manipulated the sleeping arrangements at the Shreveport hotel to ensure AV would room with Hitt and Causey. 3 Testimony elicited from the victim indicated that abuse occurred in the Shreveport hotel, and medical testimony regarding injuries to AV's rectal area was consistent with sexual abuse and consistent with AV's statements that the sexual abuse continued in Mississippi after the group had returned. 4 The jury could reasonably infer that Hitt and Causey transported the victim to Louisiana with an efficient and compelling purpose to engage in illicit sexual activity. See Garcia-Lopez, 234 F.3d at 220; see also Masse v. United States, 210 F.2d 418, 421 (5th Cir.1954).