Opinion ID: 8414975
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Al-Awadi also argues that it is riot clear which body part is depicted in the pictures he took so the evidence at trial was insufficient to support his convictions. We will only set aside a guilty verdict on the basis of insufficient evidence “if the record contains no evidence from which a reasonable juror could have found the defendant guilty.” United States v. Longstreet, 567 F.3d 911, 918 (7th Cir. 2009). To sustain Al-Awadi’s convictions under 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a), the statute requires that he must have used CY1 to engage in “sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing [a] visual depiction of such conduct.” The statute defines “sexually explicit conduct” to include the “lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area,” 18 U.S.C. § 2256(2)(A)(v), but it does not define “lascivious exhibition.” We have said that a lascivious exhibition “is one that' calls attention to the genitals or pubic area for the purpose of eliciting a sexual response- in the viewer.” United States v. Russell, 662 F.3d 831, 843 (7th Cir. 2011). More than mere nudity is necessary. United States v. Miller, 829 F.3d 519, 524 (7th Cir. 2016). Instead, “the focus of the image must be on the genitals or the image must be otherwise sexually suggestive.” Id. at 524-25 (quotation omitted). Whether pictures reflect a lascivious exhibition is “an intensely fact-bound question,” United States v. Schuster, 706 F.3d 800, 806 (7th Cir. 2013), so “the question is left to the factfinder to resolve, on the facts of each case, applying common sense.” Russell, 662 F.3d at 843. Al-Awadi does not contest that the photographs he took were of CVl’s pubic area. Instead, he argues that his convictions cannot stand because he contends that it is difficult to tell only from looking at the pictures the body part that is depicted. Sufficient evidence supports the convictions here. Al-Awadi does not dispute that the pictures are in fact of CVl’s nude genital area, and he acknowledged at trial that he pulled back CVl’s clothing to focus on her genital area when taking the pictures. The jury also heard that he had previously shown an interest in CV1—the two called each other “Little Baby,” for example—and that he had prior interest in child pornography. See Schuster, 706 F.3d at 807. The latter facts were relevant in assessing the images and in particular in determining whether the images were “for the purpose of eliciting a sexual response in the viewer” because Al-Awadi had “disclaimed any intent to create a sexually suggestive image.” Russell, 662 F.3d at 843; see also Schuster, 706 F.3d at 806. There was sufficient evidence for the jury to conclude that Al-Awadi took the photographs of CVl’s genital area for the purpose of eliciting a sexual response in him. Cfi Russell, 662 F.3d at 843 (explaining that subjective intent and motive of the creator of the photographer can be a relevant consideration); Schuster, 706 F.3d at 806. That it may be difficult for some viewers to tell from the pictures alone which part of the body is depicted does not preclude conviction here. The pictures for which Al-Awadi was convicted of making child pornography clearly show CVl’s skin, and Al-Awadi does not dispute that the pictures are of CVl’s genital area. Cf. United States v. Levy, 385 Fed.Appx. 20, 23 n.4 (2d Cir. 2010) (unpublished) (declining to decide whether a blurry image can support a § 2251(a) conviction for making child pornography). The Fourth Circuit has even affirmed a § 2251(a) conviction when no visual depiction resulted because a videotape stopped before the victim undressed, reasoning that, the crime was complete when the defendant induced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct “for the purpose of’ making a visual depiction. United States v. Buculei, 262 F.3d 322, 327-28 (4th Cir. 2001). We need not consider that scenario, though, because pictures of CVl’s genital area were in fact taken. The jury was justified in finding that Al-Awadi used CV1 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct.