Opinion ID: 2994713
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Merits of Suppression Motion

Text: The district court alternatively ruled that the suppression motion would fail on the merits because the affidavit in support of the search warrant sufficiently demonstrated probable cause for the search. We review a district court’s factual findings in a ruling on a motion to suppress evidence for clear error, and the court’s legal determinations de novo. See United States v. Hall, 142 F.3d 988, 993 (7th Cir. 1998). Angle argues that the search warrant affidavit failed to establish probable cause for the search of his residence. In the affidavit, Inspector Sadowitz averred, among other things, that Angle had ordered (and paid for) five child pornography videotapes on January 10, 1998. Inspector Sadowitz further stated that Angle aborted that order only after he was caught in possession of a suspected child pornography videotape on January 26, 1998. Inspector Sadowitz explained that he was advised by a Customs agent that when Angle re-entered the country from Mexico, he had possessed three videotape cassettes, one of which contained child pornography. Inspector Sadowitz also indicated (1) that Angle corresponded regularly via e-mail with a child pornography distributor (Jake’s Photo Service); (2) that Angle wrote in one of those e-mail correspondences that he was updating [his] inventory and that he had more German titles, more action boys, game boys, explosion boys & boys collection; and (3) that Angle had two prior convictions for sex crimes involving minor boys. After providing a detailed account of his training and experience, Inspector Sadowitz stated, among other things, that individuals who use children as sexual objects often collect child pornography and rarely, if ever, dispose of it. Angle contends that none of Inspector Sadowitz’s averments, whether considered separately or together, establish probable cause to believe child pornography itself or other evidence of child pornography crimes would be found at his residence. According to Angle, Inspector Sadowitz’s affidavit is deficient because the child pornography videotapes he ordered were never delivered and the e-mail message regarding his videotape inventory was ambiguous. The district court found that the search warrant was supported by probable cause, reasoning that Inspector Sadowitz’s affidavit described circumstances sufficient to warrant a person of reasonable prudence to believe that contraband or evidence of a crime would be found in Angle’s residence. We agree. As this court recently stated: Probable cause . . . does not require evidence sufficient to support a conviction, nor even evidence demonstrating that it is more likely than not that the suspect committed a crime. So long as the totality of the circumstances, viewed in a common sense manner, reveals a probability or substantial chance of criminal activity on the suspect’s part, probable cause exists. United States v. Sawyer, 224 F.3d 675, 679 (7th Cir. 2000) (citations omitted). Here, Inspector Sadowitz’s averments, taken together, establish more than a probability or substantial chance that a search of Angle’s residence would reveal child pornography contraband or other evidence of child pornography crimes. Indeed, the search occurred within days of his return to the United States with suspected child pornography material and his request to delay shipment of the child pornography videotapes he ordered from his Internet supplier (Jake’s Photo Service). Thus, we find Angle’s challenge unpersuasive.