Opinion
133 Nev., Advance Opinion 41 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA
JOSHUA CALEB SHUE, Appellant, vs.
No LED THE STATE OF NEVADA, DEC 14 2017 Respondent. 4BETH A. BROWN 1, ail -
.,a \ ditigia A- -4
Appeal from a judgment of conviction, pursuant Lo'-a jury verdict, of child abuse and neglect, 29 counts of use of a child in the production of pornography, 10 counts of possession of visual presentation depicting the sexual conduct of a child, and open or gross lewdness. Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County; Valerie Adair, Judge.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, vacated in part, and remanded.'
Howard Brooks, Public Defender, and William M. Waters, Deputy Public Defender, Clark County, for Appellant.
Adam Paul Laxalt, Attorney General, Carson City; Steven B. Wolfson, District Attorney, Jonathan VanBoskerck, Chief Deputy District Attorney, and Ryan J. MacDonald, Deputy District Attorney, Clark County, for Respondent.
BEFORE THE COURT EN BANC.
OPINION
By the Court, PARRAGUIRRE, J.:
NIBS 200.710(2) criminalizes the knowing use of "a minor to be the subject of a sexual portrayal in a performance." Likewise, NRS 200.730 SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA le (01 1947A — 43364 criminalizes the knowing and willful possession of "any film, photograph or other visual presentation depicting a person under the age of 16 years as the subject of a sexual portrayal." For the purposes of these statutes, NRS 200.700(4) defines Islexual portrayal" as "the depiction of a person in a manner which appeals to the prurient interest in sex and which does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."
In this appeal, we are asked to consider the appropriate units of prosecution under NRS 200.710(2) and NRS 200.730. Specifically, we first consider whether the State improperly charged appellant Joshua Shue with two counts of violating NRS 200.710(2) for each video file that depicts two minors. We conclude that the term "a minor" under NRS 200.710(2) unambiguously allows for a separate conviction for each minor used in each performance, and thus, Shue's 29 convictions under NRS 200.710 are not impermissibly redundant. [1] We also consider whether Shue was improperly convicted under NRS 200.730 on a per-image basis. We conclude that under Castaneda v. State, 132 Nev., Adv. Op. 44, 373 P.3d 108 (2016), the State improperly relied on a per-image unit of prosecution by failing to present evidence showing the mechanics of how Shue recorded and saved the lustful." Id. at 281, 212 P.3d at 1096 (internal quotation marks omitted). The words "open" and "gross" modify the word "lewdness," id. at 280-81, 212 P.3d at 1095-96; therefore, criminal liability under NRS 201.210 requires some underlying lewd act.
Here, even after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, there is no evidence that Shue committed a lewd act when he kissed H.I. A kiss on the mouth, without more, does not constitute lewd conduct because it is not lustful or sexually obscene. Although the circumstances surrounding the kiss may be inappropriate, there is simply insufficient testimony about the nature of the kiss. In addition, the State's indictment alleged that the kiss itself was the lewd act. Thus, in light of the evidence, we hold a rational fact-finder could not conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Shue's kiss constituted a lewd act. Therefore, we reverse Shue's conviction of open or gross lewdness."
Finally, we have considered Shue's other assignments of error and conclude that they are without merit or do not warrant relief. [12] CONCLUSION We conclude that (1) Shue's 29 convictions under NRS 200.710(2) are not impermissibly redundant; (2) pursuant to Castaneda v.
"Shue also argues that there is insufficient evidence to support his other convictions under NRS 200.710(2), NRS 200.730, and NRS 200.508 (child abuse). Having considered these arguments, we conclude that there is sufficient evidence to support Shue's other convictions.
011 1947A e>
Opinion
133 Nev., Advance Opinion 41 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA
JOSHUA CALEB SHUE, Appellant, vs.
No LED THE STATE OF NEVADA, DEC 14 2017 Respondent. 4BETH A. BROWN 1, ail -
.,a \ ditigia A- -4
Appeal from a judgment of conviction, pursuant Lo'-a jury verdict, of child abuse and neglect, 29 counts of use of a child in the production of pornography, 10 counts of possession of visual presentation depicting the sexual conduct of a child, and open or gross lewdness. Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County; Valerie Adair, Judge.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, vacated in part, and remanded.'
Howard Brooks, Public Defender, and William M. Waters, Deputy Public Defender, Clark County, for Appellant.
Adam Paul Laxalt, Attorney General, Carson City; Steven B. Wolfson, District Attorney, Jonathan VanBoskerck, Chief Deputy District Attorney, and Ryan J. MacDonald, Deputy District Attorney, Clark County, for Respondent.
BEFORE THE COURT EN BANC.
OPINION
By the Court, PARRAGUIRRE, J.:
NIBS 200.710(2) criminalizes the knowing use of "a minor to be the subject of a sexual portrayal in a performance." Likewise, NRS 200.730 SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA le (01 1947A — 43364 criminalizes the knowing and willful possession of "any film, photograph or other visual presentation depicting a person under the age of 16 years as the subject of a sexual portrayal." For the purposes of these statutes, NRS 200.700(4) defines Islexual portrayal" as "the depiction of a person in a manner which appeals to the prurient interest in sex and which does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."
In this appeal, we are asked to consider the appropriate units of prosecution under NRS 200.710(2) and NRS 200.730. Specifically, we first consider whether the State improperly charged appellant Joshua Shue with two counts of violating NRS 200.710(2) for each video file that depicts two minors. We conclude that the term "a minor" under NRS 200.710(2) unambiguously allows for a separate conviction for each minor used in each performance, and thus, Shue's 29 convictions under NRS 200.710 are not impermissibly redundant. [1] We also consider whether Shue was improperly convicted under NRS 200.730 on a per-image basis. We conclude that under Castaneda v. State, 132 Nev., Adv. Op. 44, 373 P.3d 108 (2016), the State improperly relied on a per-image unit of prosecution by failing to present evidence showing the mechanics of how Shue recorded and saved the lustful." Id. at 281, 212 P.3d at 1096 (internal quotation marks omitted). The words "open" and "gross" modify the word "lewdness," id. at 280-81, 212 P.3d at 1095-96; therefore, criminal liability under NRS 201.210 requires some underlying lewd act.
Here, even after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, there is no evidence that Shue committed a lewd act when he kissed H.I. A kiss on the mouth, without more, does not constitute lewd conduct because it is not lustful or sexually obscene. Although the circumstances surrounding the kiss may be inappropriate, there is simply insufficient testimony about the nature of the kiss. In addition, the State's indictment alleged that the kiss itself was the lewd act. Thus, in light of the evidence, we hold a rational fact-finder could not conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Shue's kiss constituted a lewd act. Therefore, we reverse Shue's conviction of open or gross lewdness."
Finally, we have considered Shue's other assignments of error and conclude that they are without merit or do not warrant relief. [12] CONCLUSION We conclude that (1) Shue's 29 convictions under NRS 200.710(2) are not impermissibly redundant; (2) pursuant to Castaneda v.
"Shue also argues that there is insufficient evidence to support his other convictions under NRS 200.710(2), NRS 200.730, and NRS 200.508 (child abuse). Having considered these arguments, we conclude that there is sufficient evidence to support Shue's other convictions.
011 1947A e>