U.S.S.G. §2A3.1

(a) Base Offense Level:

(1) 38, if the defendant was convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 2241(c); or

(2) 30, otherwise.

(b) Specific Offense Characteristics

(1) If the offense involved conduct described in 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a) or (b),

increase by 4 levels.

(2) If subsection (a)(2) applies and (A) the victim had not attained the age

of twelve years, increase by 4 levels; or (B) the victim had attained the

age of twelve years but had not attained the age of sixteen years, increase by 2 levels.

(3) If the victim was (A) in the custody, care, or supervisory control of the

defendant; or (B) a person held in the custody of a correctional facility,

increase by 2 levels.

(4) (A) If the victim sustained permanent or life-threatening bodily injury, increase by 4 levels; (B) if the victim sustained serious bodily

injury, increase by 2 levels; or (C) if the degree of injury is between

that specified in subdivisions (A) and (B), increase by 3 levels.

(5) If the victim was abducted, increase by 4 levels.

(6) If, to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in prohibited sexual conduct, or if, to facilitate transportation or travel, by a

minor or a participant, to engage in prohibited sexual conduct, the

offense involved (A) the knowing misrepresentation of a participant’s

identity; or (B) the use of a computer or an interactive computer service, increase by 2 levels.

(c) Cross References

(1) If a victim was killed under circumstances that would constitute murder under 18 U.S.C. § 1111 had such killing taken place within the

territorial or maritime jurisdiction of the United States, apply §2A1.1

(First Degree Murder), if the resulting offense level is greater than

that determined above.

(2) If the offense involved causing, transporting, permitting, or offering

or seeking by notice or advertisement, a minor to engage in sexually

explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such

conduct, apply §2G2.1 (Sexually Exploiting a Minor by Production of

Sexually Explicit Visual or Printed Material; Custodian Permitting

Minor to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct; Advertisement for Minors to Engage in Production), if the resulting offense level is greater

than that determined above.

(d) Special Instruction

(1) If the offense occurred in the custody or control of a prison or other

correctional facility and the victim was a prison official, the offense

shall be deemed to have an official victim for purposes of subsection (c)(2) of §3A1.2 (Official Victim).

Commentary

Statutory Provisions: 18 U.S.C. §§ 2241, 2242. For additional statutory provision(s), see Appendix A

(Statutory Index).

Application Notes:

1. Definitions.—For purposes of this guideline:

“Abducted”, “permanent or life-threatening bodily injury”, and “serious bodily injury”

have the meaning given those terms in Application Note 1 of the Commentary to §1B1.1 (Application Instructions). However, for purposes of this guideline, “serious bodily injury” means

conduct other than criminal sexual abuse, which already is taken into account in the base offense

level under subsection (a).

“Custody or control” and “prison official” have the meaning given those terms in Application

Note 4 of the Commentary to §3A1.2 (Official Victim).

“Child pornography” has the meaning given that term in 18 U.S.C. § 2256(8).

“Computer” has the meaning given that term in 18 U.S.C. § 1030(e)(1).

“Distribution” means any act, including possession with intent to distribute, production, transportation, and advertisement, related to the transfer of material involving the sexual exploitation

of a minor. Accordingly, distribution includes posting material involving the sexual exploitation

of a minor on a website for public viewing, but does not include the mere solicitation of such

material by a defendant.

“Interactive computer service” has the meaning given that term in section 230(e)(2) of the

Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. § 230(f)(2)).

“Minor” means (A) an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years; (B) an individual,

whether fictitious or not, who a law enforcement officer represented to a participant (i) had not

attained the age of 18 years, and (ii) could be provided for the purposes of engaging in sexually

explicit conduct; or (C) an undercover law enforcement officer who represented to a participant

that the officer had not attained the age of 18 years.

“Participant” has the meaning given that term in Application Note 1 of the Commentary to

§3B1.1 (Aggravating Role).

“Prohibited sexual conduct” (A) means any sexual activity for which a person can be charged

with a criminal offense; (B) includes the production of child pornography; and (C) does not include

trafficking in, or possession of, child pornography.

“Victim” includes an undercover law enforcement officer.

2. Application of Subsection (b)(1).—

(A) Definitions.—For purposes of subsection (b)(1), “conduct described in 18 U.S.C.

§ 2241(a) or (b)” is engaging in, or causing another person to engage in, a sexual act with

another person by: (A) using force against the victim; (B) threatening or placing the victim

in fear that any person will be subject to death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping; (C) rendering the victim unconscious; or (D) administering by force or threat of force, or without

the knowledge or permission of the victim, a drug, intoxicant, or other similar substance

and thereby substantially impairing the ability of the victim to appraise or control conduct.

This provision would apply, for example, if any dangerous weapon was used or brandished,

or in a case in which the ability of the victim to appraise or control conduct was substantially impaired by drugs or alcohol.

(B) Application in Cases Involving a Conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 2241(c).—If the conduct that forms the basis for a conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 2241(c) is that the defendant

engaged in conduct described in 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a) or (b), do not apply subsection (b)(1).

3. Application of Subsection (b)(3).—

(A) Care, Custody, or Supervisory Control.—Subsection (b)(3) is to be construed broadly

and includes offenses involving a victim less than 18 years of age entrusted to the defendant, whether temporarily or permanently. For example, teachers, day care providers, baby-sitters, or other temporary caretakers are among those who would be subject to this enhancement. In determining whether to apply this enhancement, the court should look to

the actual relationship that existed between the defendant and the minor and not simply

to the legal status of the defendant-minor relationship.

(B) Inapplicability of Chapter Three Adjustment.—If the enhancement in subsection (b)(3) applies, do not apply §3B1.3 (Abuse of Position of Trust or Use of Special Skill).

4. Application of Subsection (b)(6).—

(A) Misrepresentation of Participant’s Identity.—The enhancement in subsection (b)(6)(A) applies in cases involving the misrepresentation of a participant’s identity to

(A) persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in prohibited sexual conduct; or

(B) facilitate transportation or travel, by a minor or a participant, to engage in prohibited

sexual conduct. Subsection (b)(6)(A) is intended to apply only to misrepresentations made

directly to a minor or to a person who exercises custody, care, or supervisory control of the

minor. Accordingly, the enhancement in subsection (b)(6)(A) would not apply to a misrepresentation made by a participant to an airline representative in the course of making

travel arrangements for the minor.

The misrepresentation to which the enhancement in subsection (b)(6)(A) may apply includes misrepresentation of a participant’s name, age, occupation, gender, or status, as long

as the misrepresentation was made with the intent to (A) persuade, induce, entice, or coerce

a minor to engage in prohibited sexual conduct; or (B) facilitate transportation or travel, by

a minor or a participant, to engage in prohibited sexual conduct. Accordingly, use of a computer screen name, without such intent, would not be a sufficient basis for application of

the enhancement.

(B) Use of a Computer or Interactive Computer Service.—Subsection (b)(6)(B) provides

an enhancement if a computer or an interactive computer service was used to (i) persuade,

induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in prohibited sexual conduct; or (ii) facilitate

transportation or travel, by a minor or a participant, to engage in prohibited sexual conduct.

Subsection (b)(6)(B) is intended to apply only to the use of a computer or an interactive

computer service to communicate directly with a minor or with a person who exercises custody, care, or supervisory control of the minor. Accordingly, the enhancement would not

apply to the use of a computer or an interactive computer service to obtain airline tickets

for the minor from an airline’s Internet site.

5. Application of Subsection (c)(2).—

(A) In General.—The cross reference in subsection (c)(2) is to be construed broadly and includes all instances where the offense involved employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, coercing, transporting, permitting, or offering or seeking by notice or advertisement,

a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct.

(B) Definition.—For purposes of subsection (c)(2), “sexually explicit conduct” has the meaning given that term in 18 U.S.C. § 2256(2).