Opinion ID: 597486
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: What Showing of Scienter Does Section 2252 Require?

Text: 19 The main point of contention between the parties is over the scienter requirement of section 2252. Gottesman contends that section 2252 does not require knowledge of the minority of the performers, whereas the government argues that section 2252 requires knowledge of the nature and character of the material. The government's position is a bit cagey; it suggests at times that the statute requires that the distributor know that the material is child pornography, but argues that it does not require that the distributor know the age of the performers. Of course, it would make no difference under any construction of the statute if the defendant did not know precisely whether the underage performer was age 6, 7 or 8. What the government seems to be saying in its brief, however, is that the statute does not even require that the defendant know that one or more performers was under the age of 18, so long as he knew the general nature of the materials he was distributing. 20 We ruled on the question of the scienter required by the Act in Thomas, in which the defendant was accused of violating section 2252. Thomas, like Gottesman in the instant case, argued that section 2252 requires knowledge of the minority of the performer, and that, therefore, the indictment was insufficient because it failed to allege that Thomas knew that the pornography he transported depicted a minor. After setting forth section 2252, we stated that 21 In subsection 1, knowingly modifies only transports or ships. In subsection 2, knowingly modifies only receives. The section [2252], therefore, does not require that Thomas knew that the pornography he transported, mailed, and received involved a minor. The section requires only that Thomas knowingly transported and received the material. 22 893 F.2d at 1070 (emphasis added). Thus, Thomas held that section 2252 does not require knowledge that the material involves a minor. In fact, Thomas indicates that section 2252 does not require any knowledge of the contents of the material; the only scienter requirement of section 2252 is the defendant's knowledge that he mailed the material. 23 The government does not attempt to distinguish Thomas, but rather relies on United States v. Moncini, 882 F.2d 401 (9th Cir.1989). In Moncini, the defendant argued that section 2252 requires the government to prove that a defendant knew that mailing child pornography was illegal. We rejected this argument, stating that [s]ection 2252(a) requires that the government prove that the defendant had knowledge of the nature of the contents of the visual depictions and that the depictions were to be transported or shipped, but that no more was required. Id. at 404. Thus, we held that section 2252 did not require knowledge of the illegality of mailing child pornography. See also United States v. Brown, 862 F.2d 1033, 1036 (3rd Cir.1988) (under section 2252 recipient need only know that the material he receives is child pornography). 24 The problem with the government's reliance on Moncini is that its statement that knowledge of the contents is required is dictum. In Moncini, the question before us was whether section 2252 requires knowledge of the illegality of the mailings; the statement regarding knowledge of the contents was unnecessary to our ruling. In Thomas, on the other hand, the defendant squarely raised the question of whether section 2252 requires knowledge that the performers are under the age of 18. Our statement that section 2252 requires no such knowledge constituted part of our ruling. Thus, Thomas is the only precedent from this circuit on the question of whether section 2252 requires scienter of the minority of the performers. We are bound by its conclusion that section 2252 contains no such requirement. 25