1. Search and Seizure--warrant--scope of search
The trial court did not err in an indecent liberties with a minor, first-degree sexual
exploitation, statutory sexual offense, and statutory rape case by denying defendant's motion to
suppress evidence seized by police officers during the search of his residence pursuant to a search
warrant based on an affidavit containing information about a police agent's interview of the
minor, as well as information obtained in a consent search of defendant's home, because: (1) even
if the minor had been subjected to custodial interrogation in which her statutory rights and
constitutional rights had not been protected, defendant is without standing to assert that any
violation of the minor's rights would protect defendant; (2) although defendant asserts the
minor's statements to the police agent were coerced and untruthful, the veracity of the agent as
the affiant, instead of the minor, is at issue; and (3) there is no evidence that the officers exceeded
the scope of defendant's initial consent to search since a copy of defendant's written consent to
search is contained in the record on appeal, and there were no restrictions.
2. Evidence--hearsay--prior inconsistent statements--credibility--impeachment
The trial court did not err in an indecent liberties with a minor, first-degree sexual
exploitation, statutory sexual offense, and statutory rape case by admitting the testimony of three
witnesses concerning prior statements made by the minor, acknowledging living with defendant
and having engaged in various sexual activities with him, because even if this evidence should
have been excluded as hearsay at the time it was offered, the minor's subsequent testimony on
defendant's behalf denying sexual contact with defendant prior to their marriage rendered her
earlier statements relevant and admissible as prior inconsistent statements bearing upon her
credibility. N.C.G.S. § 8C-1, Rule 607.
3. Indecent Liberties--indictment--sufficiency
The trial court did not commit plain error by entering judgments in 98 CRS 1249, 98 CRS
2875, and 98 CRS 2876 for the convictions of taking indecent liberties with a minor, based on the
indictment's alleged insufficient notice of the charges or failure to protect defendant against
further prosecution for the same offenses, because: (1) the indictment for this offense is sufficient
if it uses the language of N.C.G.S. § 14-202.1 and it does not need to allege the evidentiary basis
for the charge; (2) the indictment need not allege specifically which of defendant's acts
constituted the immoral, improper, and indecent liberty; and (3) use of the statutory language is
also sufficient to satisfy constitutional requirements against double jeopardy.
4. Sexual Offenses--indictment--variance--different offense
The trial court committed plain error and defendant's conviction of statutory sexual
offense in case number 98 CRS 2875 is vacated because: (1) a defendant must be convicted, if
convicted at all, of the particular offense charged in the warrant or bill of indictment; and (2) the
trial court instructed the jury with respect to the elements of statutory sexual offense under
N.C.G.S. § 14-27.7A(a) when the indictment charges the offense proscribed in N.C.G.S. § 14-
27.4(a)(2).
5. Indecent Liberties; Rape--sufficiency of evidence
The trial court did not err in denying defendant's motion to dismiss the charges in cases 98
CRS 1249 and 98 CRS 2875 for taking indecent liberties with a minor, and in case 98 CRS 2876
for statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a minor, because: (1) defendant neither
argued nor pointed to a lack of evidence as to any element of these offenses; and (2) the evidence
and testimony from numerous witnesses reveals multiple instances of sexual activity and sexual
intercourse between defendant and the minor during the time periods alleged in the three bills of
indictment.
6. Criminal Law--jury instruction--continue deliberations
The trial court did not coerce a verdict in violation of defendant's constitutional rights
when it received a note from the jury advising that it was deadlocked by a specific numerical
division, and the trial court gave the instruction under N.C.G.S. § 15A-1235 and instructed the
jurors to continue to deliberate, because there is nothing indicative of intentional or unintentional
coercion on the part of the trial court where the trial court did not inquire into the numerical
division of the jury.
7. Sentencing--allocution--request prior to sentencing
The trial court erred by refusing to allow defendant his right of allocution, the opportunity
to address the court prior to sentencing, and a new sentencing hearing must be conducted because
N.C.G.S. § 15A-1334(b) expressly gives a non-capital defendant the right to make a statement in
his own behalf at his sentencing hearing if defendant requests to do so prior to the pronouncement
of sentence.
Appeal by defendant from judgments entered 24 September 1998
by Judge Howard R. Greeson, Jr., in Wilkes County Superior Court.
Heard in the Court of Appeals 17 February 2000.
Attorney General Michael F. Easley, by Assistant Attorney
General Jane T. Friedensen, for the State.
John T. Hall for defendant-appellant.
MARTIN, Judge.
In case number 98 CRS 1207, defendant was charged with
statutory sexual offense in violation of G.S. § 14-27.7A and
taking indecent liberties with a minor in violation of G.S. § 14-
202.1. In case number 98 CRS 1248, he was charged with first
degree sexual exploitation of a minor in violation of G.S. § 14-
190.16(a)(1) and with taking indecent liberties with a minor. In
case number 98 CRS 1249, defendant was charged with takingindecent liberties with a minor. In case number 98 CRS 2874, he
was charged with statutory sexual offense, with statutory rape,
and with taking indecent liberties with a minor. In case number
98 CRS 2875, defendant was charged with forcible sexual offense
and with taking indecent liberties with a minor. In case number
98 CRS 2876, he was charged with statutory rape and with taking
indecent liberties with a minor. The indictments allege the
offenses occurred at various times between November 1997 and
January 1998; in each indictment the victim was alleged to be
R.A.H., a minor.
We summarize the evidence in this case only to the extent
required to discuss defendant's assignments of error. The State
offered evidence tending to show that in January 1998, R.A.H. was
fourteen years of age and was in her mother's custody. Based
upon information received by her father that R.A.H. was living
with defendant, who was thirty years of age, an investigation was
undertaken by the North Wilkesboro police and the State Bureau of
Investigation. On 11 February 1998, R.A.H. was interviewed by
S.B.I. Agent Mike Brown. On the same date, she talked with her
father and with a social worker.
Based on information provided by R.A.H. during the
interview, Agent Brown and other officers went to defendant's
mobile home and obtained his consent to search the residence.
Various items, including R.A.H.'s pocketbook and one of her
school books, were observed. Because defendant was following
them around the residence and urging them to hurry, the officers
ceased the consent search and obtained a search warrant. Afterresuming the search pursuant to the search warrant, the officers
seized R.A.H.'s pocketbook and schoolbook, numerous articles of
her clothing, a camera and undeveloped film, pornographic videos
and magazines, and other items. The undeveloped film was
developed and contained photographs of R.A.H. nude and clad in a
negligee, nude photographs of defendant, and photographs of
R.A.H. engaged in sexual acts with other young women.
The State also offered the testimony of several other women
who testified as to various occasions between November 1997 and
January 1998 when they had seen defendant having sexual
intercourse with R.A.H., performing oral sex upon her, and
inserting his fingers into her vagina. Defendant directed some
of these women to perform sexual acts, including oral sex, with
R.A.H. and photographed them while so engaged. Three witnesses
testified that defendant had boasted to them of having torn
R.A.H.'s vagina during intercourse.
Defendant offered testimony from various witnesses who had
visited defendant's residence during the time periods alleged in
the bills of indictment and had observed no sexual activity
between defendant and R.A.H. R.A.H. testified that she had been
suspended from school in October 1997 and had begun working for
defendant during the day, keeping house and answering his
telephone. After returning to school in January, she continued
to visit defendant in the evenings. She testified that she and
defendant were married in South Carolina on Valentine's Day in
1998, and that they had been driven to South Carolina by her
mother. She denied having any sexual relationship with defendantprior to their marriage. She testified that her earlier
statements to the police were untruthful and were the product of
threats and coercion. She also testified that the sexually
explicit photographs of her had been taken by some girls from
Boone when defendant was not at his residence.
A jury returned verdicts finding defendant guilty of
statutory sexual offense and guilty of taking indecent liberties
with a minor in 98 CRS 1207; guilty of first degree sexual
exploitation and guilty of taking indecent liberties with a minor
in 98 CRS 1248; guilty of taking indecent liberties with a minor
in 98 CRS 1249; guilty of statutory sexual offense and guilty of
indecent liberties with a minor in 98 CRS 2875; and guilty of
statutory rape and guilty of taking indecent liberties with a
minor in 98 CRS 2876. The jury found defendant not guilty as to
each of the three charges contained in the bill of indictment in
98 CRS 2874.
Judgments were entered sentencing defendant to five
consecutive active terms of imprisonment of not less than 19
months nor more than 23 months upon each conviction of taking
indecent liberties with a minor, and to an active term of
imprisonment of not less than 77 months nor more than 102 months
upon his conviction of first degree sexual exploitation, to begin
at the expiration of the sentences imposed upon defendant's
convictions of taking indecent liberties with a minor. The court
consolidated the two statutory sexual offense convictions and the
statutory rape conviction and entered judgment sentencing
defendant to an active prison term of a minimum of 264 months anda maximum of 326 months. He appeals from these judgments.
4. Not only was the juvenile not in custody,
the juvenile was not interrogated. Any
questions by Special Agent Brown were not
designed to elicit incriminating statements
by and about [R.A.H.], but instead, they were
designed to illicit information as to James
Miller.
5. All statements contained in the search
warrant affidavit were truthful and not made
with reckless disregard for their
truthfulness. Any involuntariness attributed
to the juvenile's statements were not
attributable to law enforcement, Social Worker
Henderson or Ms. Greene but instead is
attributed to the fact that the juvenile didnot want to betray her boyfriend, James
Miller.
Defendant did not assign error to any of the trial court's findings
of fact; the findings are presumed to be correct. N.C.R. App. P.
10(b)(2); State v. Perry, 316 N.C. 87, 340 S.E.2d 450 (1986). Our
review, therefore, is limited to a determination of whether the
trial court's conclusions of law are correct. We hold that they
are.
Even if R.A.H. had been subjected to a custodial interrogation
in which her statutory and constitutional rights had not been
protected, which the trial court found had not occurred, defendant
is without standing to assert that any such violation of her rights
would entitle him to protection. See State v. Greenwood, 301 N.C.
705, 273 S.E.2d 438 (1981) (in context of Fourth Amendment, only
those whose personal rights have been violated are entitled to
benefit from exclusionary rule). Moreover, though defendant
asserts R.A.H.'s statements to Agent Brown were coerced and
untruthful, it is the veracity of Agent Brown, as the affiant, not
R.A.H., which is at issue. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-978(a) (1999)
(stating that truthful testimony is testimony which reports in
good faith the circumstances relied on to establish probable
cause); State v. Fernandez, 346 N.C. 1, 13, 484 S.E.2d 350, 358
(1997) (holding that probable cause for issuance of search warrant
anticipates truthful showing in affidavit; truthful means the
information given by affiant is believed to be true).
Defendant also argues the officers exceeded the scope of his
initial consent to search and that Agent Brown's inclusion, in theprobable cause affidavit, of a description of items observed during
that consent search tainted the search warrant. However, defendant
did not object or assign error to the trial court's finding that
the officers had conducted a consent search of his residence and
such finding is therefore binding. In any event, a copy of
defendant's written consent to search is contained in the record on
appeal and no restrictions on the scope of defendant's consent
appear thereon. Defendant's assignments of error related to the
denial of his motion to suppress evidence seized from his residence
are overruled.
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