Christopher v. U.S.

Petitioner pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) and to committing a felony offense involving a minor while under a reporting requirement in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2260A, the latter of which was predicated on the § 2422(b) conviction. Plaintiff sought to vacate, set aside, or correct his sentence on the grounds that the offense did not involve a minor, but a government agent pretending to be a minor and alleging he was denied the effective assistance of counsel. The district court denied the petition and the Seventh Circuit affirmed, rejecting petitioner’s interpretation of the statutory language. (HAMILTON and MALDONADO, concurring)