Opinion ID: 4394859
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: restitution proceedings

Text: After sentencing, the district court considered restitution requests pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2259(a), which provides for mandatory restitution to child pornography victims. Generally, the process worked as follows. First, the government identified the individual victims depicted in the images of child pornography found on Rothenberg’s computer and notified them or their attorneys of the upcoming restitution hearing. Then a victim’s attorney submitted a restitution request and supporting documentation to the government. Next, the government determined whether to support that request or ask the district court for a different amount. Rothenberg could agree to the request, try to negotiate down with the government or the victim’s attorney, or challenge the request before the district court. Eventually the government submitted restitution requests on behalf of ten victims, all of whom were identified in at least one of the images of child pornography from Rothenberg’s computer. One of the victims, “Angela,” later withdrew her request, leaving nine requests at issue for the hearing. 4 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 5 of 67
Prior to the restitution hearing, both parties submitted lengthy memoranda addressing (1) how the restitution determination should be made, and (2) what the award should be for each victim. The government and Rothenberg agreed that the Supreme Court’s decision in Paroline v. United States, 572 U.S. 434, 134 S. Ct. 1710 (2014), governed how the restitution awards should be made, established a proximate cause requirement, and set forth a variety of factors for district courts to consider in determining the proper amount of restitution. Under Paroline’s proximate causation requirement, a defendant should pay restitution “in an amount that comports with the defendant’s relative role in the causal process that underlies the victim’s general losses.” Paroline, 572 U.S. at 458, 134 S. Ct. at 1727. But the parties disagreed about how exactly to apply the Paroline factors and how to calculate and determine that amount. The government recognized that, under Paroline, the district court must impose restitution in an amount that reflects the particular defendant’s relative role in the continuing traffic in the child pornography images of the victim. The government proposed that the district court make that calculation by using a variation of what is known as the “1/n method,” whereby the court would divide the total amount of each victim’s losses by the number of defendants, across multiple prosecutions, who had been ordered to pay restitution to the victim. The government submitted that this method would 5 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 6 of 67 provide the district court a starting point from which to exercise its discretion in determining the appropriate amount of restitution vis-à-vis Rothenberg, as only a possessor of images of child pornography. Rothenberg argued, by contrast, that the starting point should be “apportionment between the original abuser of the child, versus the distributor, and later, possessor of the pornography,” which Rothenberg referred to as “disaggregation.” Rothenberg asserted that this disaggregation requires two steps: first, the district court must separate the harm caused by the original abuser from that caused by later distributors and possessors; and second, the district court must separate the harm caused by the defendant from that caused by other distributors or possessors. Below, we detail for each victim (1) the victim’s restitution request and supporting evidence, (2) the government’s position, and then (3) Rothenberg’s position.
Sierra submitted a restitution request for $10,000. In support of her request, Sierra submitted a medical letter from Dr. Sharon W. Cooper, a forensic pediatrician, based on her December 2015 evaluation of Sierra. Dr. Cooper explained that victims of child pornography can experience physical, emotional, and spiritual issues as a result of their online exploitation, including immunological 6 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 7 of 67 problems, posttraumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”), anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and feelings of hopelessness. Dr. Cooper noted that “[w]hen images are known to be in distribution, the pre-existing dysfunction caused by the initial abuse is typically worsened, since children remain at risk for further victimization by the ongoing downloading, trading and possession of their images.” With respect to Sierra specifically, Dr. Cooper stated that Sierra’s medical evaluation showed she suffered from worsening insomnia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”), depression, suicidal ideation, PTSD, and mood lability. Dr. Cooper noted that, despite being on five different medications, Sierra’s condition remained unstable and she recently required emergency treatment for suicidality. Dr. Cooper opined that “[t]he ongoing presence of trafficking in images [of Sierra] on the Internet constitutes a significant aspect of psychological maltreatment that will add on to the initial adversities” caused by the original abuse. Based on Sierra’s past medical history, the documented adversities faced by victims of child sexual abuse and child pornography offenses, and Sierra’s present medical symptoms, Dr. Cooper estimated a total cost of $661,453.00 for Sierra’s future medical care. Sierra’s counsel also submitted a declaration of attorney’s fees, indicating Sierra had incurred nearly $5,000 in attorney’s fees in connection with this case. 7 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 8 of 67 The government supported Sierra’s $10,000 restitution request. The government observed that four other defendants had been ordered to pay restitution to victims in the same series of images as Sierra. Those awards were for $4,000, $1,000, $9,000, and $2,000. Rothenberg opposed Sierra’s restitution request. Rothenberg noted that he possessed only one image of Sierra1 and that the requested restitution amount was more than double the average of Sierra’s prior awards ($4,000). Rothenberg argued that Sierra’s restitution materials made no attempt at disaggregation and that the government provided no information to demonstrate the relative amount of Sierra’s harm caused by his conduct.
Jane submitted a restitution request for $3,000. In support of her request, Jane submitted a victim impact statement, a psychological report, and an economic report. In her victim impact statement, Jane specifically described how the online trade in her child pornography images had affected and would continue to affect her. Jane explained: “Knowing people are watching what happened gives me a mix of anxiety, sadness, anger and it disgusts me. . . . If it wasn’t out there, I wouldn’t be as fearful as I am now.” Jane elaborated that the circulation of her 1 Throughout we refer to how many images of a victim Rothenberg had. Each of the images recounted in this case were child pornography, and for brevity sometimes we refer to them simply as “images.” 8 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 9 of 67 images made her feel afraid and unsafe because she worried that someone who had seen her images online might recognize her and try to harm her. Jane felt that her future would not be “very bright” and would be lonely because the existence of her images online made her socially isolated. Jane’s psychological evaluation was performed by Dr. Jennifer Clark in December 2014 “to determine the psychological effects of her continuous revictimization in the form of Internet pornographic images and videos of her being exchanged and viewed.” Dr. Clark opined that the online trade in Jane’s images was currently impacting her, causing her great fear and anxiety and leaving her feeling unsafe and vulnerable. Dr. Clark observed that the trade in Jane’s images would continue to impact her in the future by exacerbating her “deep sense of mistrust in others” from the original abuse and hindering her healing and recovery process. Dr. Clark explained: “[Jane’s] awareness of the ongoing presence and distribution of [her] images will remain an ever present trigger to memories of what happened and a source of fear for her safety, and thus, ongoing psychological distress. Therefore, Jane will require therapy throughout her life. . . . Given that much of Jane’s distress manifests in somatic symptoms and physiological distress, she likely will also seek and need significant medical attention in the future.” 9 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 10 of 67 Jane’s economic evaluation estimated that she would have future medical and therapy costs of $101,027, and lost wages of between approximately $1.9 and $3.9 million. The government agreed that Jane’s $3,000 restitution request was appropriate. The government noted that seven other defendants had been ordered to pay restitution to Jane. Three of those seven defendants were ordered to pay $1,000, two were ordered to pay $2,500, one was ordered to pay $3,000, and one was ordered to pay $500. Rothenberg disputed Jane’s requested amount and argued that a restitution amount of $800 would be appropriate. Rothenberg noted that he possessed four images of Jane and that the average award to Jane from the prior cases was $1,642. Rothenberg acknowledged that Jane’s restitution materials were “the best of all provided to attempt disaggregation,” but argued his possession did not warrant a $3,000 award when compared with other defendants. Specifically, Rothenberg noted that one of the prior cases with a $1,000 restitution order involved distribution, and three of the other cases involved receipt of Jane’s images.
Pia submitted a restitution request for $5,000. In support of her request, Pia submitted an interim impact statement from Dr. Marsha Hedrick, who conducted a forensic psychological evaluation of Pia, a declaration of attorney’s fees, and a 10 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 11 of 67 victim impact statement from Pia’s mother. Dr. Hedrick noted that Pia experienced anxiety, nightmares, suspiciousness, and sadness and was emotionally withdrawn. Dr. Hedrick explained that “[s]eparating the extent to which these difficulties are related to sexual abuse by her father versus her awareness that her sexual abuse is being viewed by others is not entirely possible,” but it was clear internet exploitation adds a layer of complexity to the psychological damages victims of child sexual abuse face. Indeed, Dr. Hedrick noted that Pia’s mother had explained to Pia there was no way to remove from the internet the images of her sexual abuse, resulting in “a level of suspiciousness and concern about exploitation that is atypical for Pia’s peers” and likely caused Pia to experience feelings of powerlessness. Dr. Hedrick estimated the cost of Pia’s therapy needs as $81,900, but explained that estimate reflected only the “current, most critical needs” for Pia and there was no way to know what the full extent of her losses would be over the course of her lifetime. The government concurred in Pia’s $5,000 restitution request. The government did not have information on any other defendants that were ordered to pay restitution to Pia, but Pia’s counsel advised one other defendant was ordered to pay restitution. Rothenberg disputed Pia’s requested amount and instead proposed a restitution award of $1,100. Rothenberg contended there was “no real attempt at 11 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 12 of 67 disaggregation” in Pia’s restitution documents, but agreed some amount of restitution was appropriate based on the number of images (14) he possessed of Pia. Rothenberg reasoned that $1,100 was appropriate because the government had requested $2,000 in restitution for Jenny (discussed below), and he possessed half as many images of Pia as he had of Jenny.
Mya submitted a restitution request of $5,000. In support of her request, Mya’s counsel submitted a restitution cover letter and declarations from both of her attorneys. Mya’s counsel represented that they were still awaiting the results of Mya’s psychological evaluation, but that other similarly situated child pornography victims they had represented had psychological treatment costs exceeding $100,000. Mya’s counsel stated that Mya was aware of the existence of her images on the internet and “the knowledge that others have witnessed and even enjoyed [her] abuse is extremely upsetting to [her].” Counsel further represented that Mya was distrustful of other people and was at risk of being stalked or victimized by individuals who had seen her images online. Counsel also represented that they had expended $2,077.44 thus far in representing Mya and two other victims in the same series (one of whom was victim Pia, discussed above), and anticipated total legal costs of $30,000 for those three victims. 12 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 13 of 67 The government did not concur in Mya’s $5,000 restitution request. The government noted that there was no information on whether other defendants were ordered to pay restitution to Mya and determined that “[g]iven that [Rothenberg] possessed a single image of Mya and the future medical costs have not yet been established,” a restitution award of $500 was appropriate. The government stated that amount was neither trivial nor too severe. Rothenberg argued there was no sufficient basis for awarding any restitution to Mya given the lack of information regarding her future medical costs. Rothenberg also noted that he made an offer to Mya’s counsel to pay the $500 amount the government sought, but that offer was rejected.
Sarah submitted a restitution request of $25,000. In support of her request, Sarah submitted, among other things, a cover letter, a victim impact statement, a 2014 psychological evaluation by Dr. Randall Green, and an economic report. In the cover letter, Sarah’s counsel represented that her requested restitution amount of $25,000 would be “less than 1%” of her total losses and that 327 other defendants were ordered to pay restitution to Sarah. In her victim impact statement, Sarah explained that she worried that people who had seen her images online would “come after” her and try to victimize her in the same way her original abuser had. Sarah elaborated: “Every time someone else 13 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 14 of 67 sees pictures or videos of me it feels like they are the ones who hurt me to begin with. . . . It is like I am just here for other people’s pleasure and am not a person myself with my own wants and needs.” Sarah stated that her fear prevented her from leaving the house by herself and from engaging in other normal activities like going to school, having a job, or socializing with more than a few people. In his psychological evaluation, Dr. Green assessed “the impact and injuries caused by the discovery and daily awareness that multiple individuals are viewing images of sexual crimes being perpetrated against [Sarah] as a child.” As part of his assessment, Dr. Green interviewed Sarah and also performed various psychological tests. Based on these sources of information, Dr. Green opined that “the discovery of multiple downloaders and distributors of her images effectively exponentially multiplied in [Sarah’s] mind the number of sick and dangerous males ‘out there’ who might . . . do her harm.” Dr. Green explained that Sarah’s knowledge of the dissemination of her child pornography images online caused her daily psychological damage in the form of fear “that has reached a paranoid-like level of intensity.” Dr. Green determined that Sarah required “extensive and intensive therapy” for the trauma caused by both the original abuse and the continuing traffic in her images. Dr. Green estimated the costs of Sarah’s future psychiatric care were between $265,710 and $303,150. 14 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 15 of 67 Sarah’s counsel reported that Sarah had incurred $31,433.77 in attorney’s fees. The economic assessment for Sarah estimated a minimum of approximately $1.9 million in lost wages over her lifetime. The government did not concur in Sarah’s $25,000 restitution request and instead requested an award of $7,895 based on its 1/n calculation method. The government also provided a list of 155 prior restitution awards to Sarah, which ranged from $0 at the low end to $51,500 at the high end. Rothenberg opposed Sarah’s restitution request. Rothenberg cited three other cases involving Sarah in which the government presented the same restitution evidence and the courts found the government failed to establish proximate cause. Rothenberg argued that the government provided no evidence to disaggregate the harm proximately caused by his possession of six images of Sarah from that caused by the other defendants in the list it had provided.
Vicky submitted a restitution request of $10,000. In support of her request, Vicky submitted several victim impact statements, several psychological reports from Dr. Green, an economic report, and a statement of attorney’s fees. In her victim impact statements, Vicky described the effects of the ongoing distribution of the images of her sexual abuse as a child, including feelings of fear and paranoia, nightmares, and panic attacks. In a 2014 psychological status report, 15 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 16 of 67 Dr. Green opined that Vicky continued to require therapy as a result of the continuing traffic in her images, as well as her discovery of attempts by some viewers of her images to invade her privacy. Dr. Green explained that Vicky continued to experience anxiety, dissociative responses, social withdrawal, anger, feelings of powerlessness, and sleep disruption. Dr. Green estimated Vicky’s total therapy costs to be between $108,975 to $113,600. The economic report estimated Vicky’s net lost wages over the course of her lifetime to be $828,150. Vicky’s counsel represented that Vicky had incurred attorney’s fees and costs of $92,371.96. The government did not concur in Vicky’s $10,000 request and instead requested an award of $1,283 using its 1/n method. The government provided a list of 659 other restitution awards to Vicky, which ranged from approximately $24 at the low end to $1 million at the high end. Rothenberg opposed Vicky’s restitution request for the same reasons he opposed Sarah’s request, noting that other courts had denied restitution requests based on the same evidence and that the government failed to disaggregate. Rothenberg also noted that he possessed only one image of Vicky and that the average post-Paroline restitution award to Vicky was $3,632. 16 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 17 of 67
Amy submitted a restitution request of $25,000. In support of her request, Amy provided a victim impact statement, several psychological evaluations from Dr. Joyanna Silberg, and an economic report. In her victim impact statement, Amy stated that she “live[s] in constant fear that someone will see [her] pictures and recognize [her].” Amy expressed feelings of powerlessness related to the traffic in the images of her sexual abuse as a child because “the crime has never really stopped and will never really stop.” Amy explained that she experienced fear, shame, and humiliation at the thought of her friends and other people she encounters discovering her images online. In a December 2014 report, Dr. Silberg opined that although Amy had made strides as a result of an intensive treatment plan initiated in 2012, ongoing issues related to PTSD remained. Dr. Silberg explained that Amy continued to experience flashbacks and nightmares, as well as “fear about the internet and shame associated with the ongoing viewing of her picture.” Dr. Silberg concluded that Amy “continues to suffer from the ongoing effects of her victimization from child abuse and from the continued use of her image by child pornography traders, viewers, and abusers,” and recommended continued psychological treatment and monitoring. Amy’s economic report estimated her net lost wages as $2,855,173, and her future counseling costs as $512,681. 17 Case: 17-12349 Date Filed: 05/08/2019 Page: 18 of 67 The government did not concur in Amy’s $25,000 request and instead requested a restitution amount of $15,664 using its 1/n method. The government provided a list of 215 other restitution awards to Amy, ranging from $50 at the low end to $3.5 million at the high end. Rothenberg opposed Amy’s restitution request. Rothenberg noted that he possessed only one image of Amy and that the average post-Paroline restitution award to her was $3,891. Rothenberg asserted that the government’s list of prior restitution orders was inaccurate as to some of the awards and argued that the government made no attempt to disaggregate his conduct from that of other defendants.