United States v. Schneider, No. 12-1145 (3d Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseThe victim, born in Russia in 1986, was sent to study ballet at the Bolshoi Academy at age 10. When his family became unable to pay his fees, teachers introduced them to Schneider, an American lawyer living in Moscow. Schneider agreed to financially assist the family. His parents agreed to the victim living at Schneider’s apartment. Schneider began engaging in sexual activity with the victim. In 2000, Schneider told the victim that if the school nurse asked about the condition of the victim’s anus, he should say that he had used a solid stick of hemorrhoid medication. Schneider explained that if anyone discovered their sexual activity, Schneider would go to jail and the victim would not achieve his goals. In 2001, the victim and Schneider traveled to Philadelphia, where the victim resided at Schneider’s parents’ home while attending a summer ballet program. Upon their return to Moscow, the sexual activity resumed. When the victim was 16, the two moved to Massachusetts, where the victim attended school and danced professionally. In 2008, the victim filed a civil complaint, which was was stayed when Schneider was charged with traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with another person, 18 U.S.C. 2423(b), and transporting an individual in foreign commerce with intent that such individual engage in a sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, 18 U.S.C. 2421. The Third Circuit affirmed his conviction, rejecting challenges to evidentiary rulings and sentencing.
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