Opinion ID: 1224909
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Sadistic/Violent Material Enhancement

Text: The child pornography guideline provides for a four-level increase [i]f the offense involved material that portrays sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2(b)(4). Citing United States v. Diaz, 368 F.3d 991 (8th Cir.2004), the PSR recommended imposing this increase because Eight videos depicted minors, some prepubescent, engaged in sexual conduct with adults or other minors. The depicted conduct included, but was not limited to, vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, digital penetration, and manual stimulation. Specifically, one of these videos depicted an adult male engaged in vaginal intercourse with a prepubescent female. The district court overruled Dodd's objection and imposed the increase, finding that a depiction of an adult penetrating a child in and of itself constitutes sadistic, masochistic, or violent conduct. On appeal, Dodd does not deny that one video found on his computer depicted an adult male vaginally penetrating a prepubescent female. Rather, he argues that Diaz did not hold that a depiction of vaginal intercourse between an adult male and a female child qualifies, per se, for the § 2G2.2(b)(4) enhancement. Therefore, the district court committed procedural error by not undertaking a fact-specific analysis to determine if a particular video is sufficiently painful, coercive, abusive, and degrading to warrant the increase. United States v. Parker, 267 F.3d 839, 847 (8th Cir.2001) (reversing denial of an increase because of the violent and depraved nature of the images in question), cert. denied, 535 U.S. 1011, 122 S.Ct. 1592, 152 L.Ed.2d 509 (2002). The guideline does not define sadistic, masochistic, or violent conduct. See U.S.S.G. § 2G2.2, comment. (n.2). In Diaz, we held that various images are sadistic or depictions of violence within the meaning of § 2G2.2(b)(3) [now (b)(4) ], describing one of those images as depicting the sexual penetration of a minor girl by an adult male with his penis. 368 F.3d at 992. Diaz cited favorably decisions from other circuits holding that images of adult males engaging in vaginal intercourse with prepubescent females are sadistic or violent within the meaning of this provision. United States v. Lyckman, 235 F.3d 234, 237, and cases cited at 238-39 (5th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 986, 121 S.Ct. 1634, 149 L.Ed.2d 494 (2001). In United States v. Belflower, we held that images of an adult [male] attempting  sexual penetration of a minor girl are sadistic or violent for purposes of § 2G2.2(b)(4). 390 F.3d 560, 562 (8th Cir.2004) (emphasis in original). The district court properly applied Diaz and Belflower, which are binding on our panel. United States v. Alama, 486 F.3d 1062, 1067 (8th Cir.2007). For these reasons, we conclude that the district court committed no procedural error in determining Dodd's advisory guidelines sentencing range. As this is the only issue raised on appeal, the judgment of the district court is affirmed.