Opinion ID: 2779913
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Need for Deterrence

Text: In our prior opinion, we highlighted that “[g]eneral deterrence is crucial in the child pornography context,” citing to Sixth Circuit precedent that the § 3553(a) factors relating to deterrence and protecting the public “should be focused upon the market for such activities.” Id. at 777 (discussing § 3553(a)(2)(B) and (c)). As we wrote then, “[t]he emphasis should be upon deterring the production, distribution, receipt, or possession of child pornography, and not a prediction of future sexual contact with children.” Id. We held that Defendant’s previous sentence, “which was devoid of any significant period of incarceration, home confinement, or substantial fine, undermine[d] the purpose of general deterrence.” Id. In its resentencing decision, the district court showed no more cognizance of the importance of general deterrence than it had the first time. In fact, the district court expressed its belief that Defendant’s case would not generate any publicity that could deter others, and even made light of the absence of any press in the courtroom. A court should not require evidence of likely publicity before taking into account the Congressional sentencing goal of deterrence, a goal that this Court has found particularly salient in the child pornography context. Id.; United States v. Camiscione, 591 F.3d 823, 834 (6th Cir. 2010). No. 13-2308 United States v. Robinson Page 8 The district court also expressed its belief that Defendant had shown “in the laboratory of life” that he had been specifically deterred over the four years of probation from possessing child pornography again or committing any other crime. While this observation is unobjectionable as far as it goes, we think the district court placed unreasonable weight on the factor of specific deterrence when it explained that Defendant’s successful record on probation “makes this an extraordinary case” and would justify “an extraordinary variance.” (R. 57 at 282.) We cannot agree that the failure to reoffend justifies an extraordinary variance.