United States v. Carson

Carson raped and threatened a 17-year-old girl, knowing her age, and then arranged encounters, during which time she traded sex for money three or four times a day. He isolated her from outside communications. His other three sex-trafficking victims were not minors, but were long‐time drug addicts, homeless, desperate for drugs and had nowhere to go. He abused, threatened, and isolated them. A jury convicted Carson on four counts of violating the federal sex‐trafficking statute, 18 U.S.C. 1591(a). Carson had the opportunity at sentencing to submit expert testimony about his Bipolar I Disorder, his problems with drug abuse, and his abusive family background. The court sentenced Carson to 47 years’ imprisonment, below the Sentencing Guideline recommendation of life and below the government’s recommended 55‐year sentence. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, rejecting Carson’s claims that he was prevented from eliciting relevant testimony from his victims about their prior acts of prostitution and from effectively cross examining a key witness who testified concerning his knowledge of the minor’s age, that the district court errantly admitted evidence of uncharged “bad acts” in Carson’s relationships with other women, and that he was prejudiced by incorrectly worded jury instructions on “reckless disregard.” View "United States v. Carson" on Justia Law