Opinion ID: 2980343
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Delaney argues that there was insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction for Count I, sexual exploitation of children in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a).
Delaney moved for judgment of acquittal on Count I pursuant to Rule 29 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure at the close of the government’s evidence. The district court denied 3 The government argues on appeal that the evidence was also properly admissible as res gestae evidence. As we that find that the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the evidence pursuant to Rule 404(b), we do not address this argument here. 19 No. 09-1820 United States v. Delaney the motion. Delaney failed to renew this motion at the close of his case, or within seven days of the verdict. Accordingly, “appellate review is limited to determining whether there was a ‘manifest miscarriage of justice.’” United States v. Price, 134 F.3d 340, 350 (6th Cir. 1998) (quoting United States v. Glover, 21 F.3d 133, 138 (6th Cir. 1994), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 948 (1994)).
A “miscarriage of justice” exists only if the record is “devoid of evidence pointing to guilt.” Price, 134 F.3d at 350 (internal quotations omitted). That standard is not met in this case because direct and circumstantial evidence supports Delaney’s conviction. In relevant part, 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) provides: Any person who employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any minor to engage in . . . any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct . . . shall be punished as provided under subsection (e), if such person knows or has reason to know that such visual depiction will be transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, if that visual depiction was produced or transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, or if such visual depiction has actually been transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed. Delaney argues that the evidence does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he “employed, used, persuaded, or coerced” Amanda. The evidence at trial supports the jury’s verdict. Amanda testified that she met Delaney in an internet chat room when she was in 7th grade. In August of 2004, he drove to Grand Rapids, Michigan in order to have sex with her. At the time, she was 14 years old. Amanda testified about the details of their sexual encounter, including how she and Delaney wrote on each other with red latex paints, and took naked pictures of each other and 20 No. 09-1820 United States v. Delaney their genitals. In sum, the record is not devoid of evidence of that Delaney “used” Amanda to produce visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct. Accordingly, we find that there was not a manifest miscarriage of justice in this case.