United States v. Cruz, No. 19-4160 (6th Cir. 2020)
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Cruz pleaded guilty to transporting a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity; receiving child pornography; and transporting child pornography. Cruz, then 37, had maintained a two-year online relationship with the 12-year-old victim before he picked her up in California, traveled across the country, and had sex with her on multiple occasions.
The Sixth Circuit affirmed his sentence of 188 months' imprisonment. Imposing a two-level offense enhancement on Count 1 for “unduly influenc[ing] a minor to engage in prohibited sexual conduct,” USSG 2G1.3(b)(2)(B), was not an abuse of discretion. The presumption of undue influence is triggered if there is a difference of 10 years between the defendant and the victim. Here, there was a difference of 25 years. Even if that were not the case, any claimed error is harmless. The application of the enhancement did not alter Cruz’s Sentencing Guidelines range or resulting sentence because Cruz was sentenced to a term of imprisonment at the top of the Guidelines range established by Counts 2 and 3, which did not include the undue-influence enhancement.
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