Opinion ID: 26082
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Constitutionality of the

Text: Child Pornography Prevention Act Paul contends that the language in 18 U.S.C. § 2256(8)(B) defining “child pornography” to include an image that “appears to be” or “conveys the impression” of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct is impermissibly vague and overbroad under the First Amendment. He acknowledges that this circuit’s recent 7 precedent forecloses this facial challenge. See United States v. Fox, 248 F.3d 394, 404-07 (5th Cir. 2001) (holding that prohibiting possession of an image that “appears to be” or “conveys the impression of” minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct does not violate the First Amendment). However, Paul points out that the Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in Free Speech Coalition v. Reno, 198 F.3d 1083 (9th Cir. 1999), cert. granted sub nom., Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, 121 S.Ct. 876 (2001), to consider whether this language in the CPPA is unconstitutionally vague or overbroad. Thus, he asks this court to postpone deciding the issue until the Supreme Court decides Free Speech Coalition. We decline this invitation. A facial challenge to the CPPA is foreclosed by Fox, which is the binding law of this circuit. Moreover, as the government correctly points out, the Supreme Court’s resolution of Free Speech Coalition will not affect the validity of Paul’s conviction, as he was not convicted under the portions of the statute that are under challenge in that case. Paul’s indictment specifically references the definition of “child pornography” contained in 18 U.S.C. § 2256(8)(A), which defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct where “the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.” This definition, unlike the definition contained in § 8 2256(8)(B) that is at issue in Free Speech Coalition, does not contain the language that Paul asserts is constitutionally problematic. Delaying resolution of this constitutional challenge until after the Supreme Court decides Free Speech Coalition would be neither necessary nor useful, as the charges on which Paul was indicted and to which he pled guilty reference a definitional provision of the statute that is not challenged in Free Speech Coalition. Accordingly, we affirm Paul’s conviction under the CPPA.