United States v. Jeffrey Meek

Jeffery Meek entered a conditional guilty plea to one count of using the Internet to attempt to induce a minor to engage in sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422 (b). At issue on appeal is whether the district court erred in denying Meek’s motions to suppress evidence and to dismiss the indictment. Meek challenges the legality of the search of his records at America Online (“AOL”), whose Internet services Meek used, as well as the search of his home, computer, and vehicle. We also consider whether § 2422(b) applies where the person believed to be a minor is actually an adult police detective posing as the minor and, if so, whether the statute is unconstitutional. We reject these challenges and affirm the conviction. Both search warrants were valid, an attempt conviction under § 2422(b) does not require an actual minor victim, and the statute is constitutional as applied to Meek.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

In early 1999, Detective Lewis Doty of the Walnut Creek Police Department and Detective Steve McEwan of the San Jose Police Department began a joint investigation into child exploitation following the discovery of photographs of a local 14-year-old boy engaged in sexual…