Guidelines Manual, Chapter TwoFY2018–FY2025
§2A3.2
Criminal sexual abuse of a minor under 16 · 0.1% of federal cases · Guidelines Manual
The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 22–54 months; mean 46. <10 cases at the 470-month cap.
§ 2Summary
§2A3.2 (criminal sexual abuse of a minor under 16) was the primary guideline in 304 cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0.1% of all cases, with 30 in FY2025. The Commission classes most of them as sex abuse.
The median prison term under §2A3.2 was 36 months (3 years) (all cases nationally: 24 months); — of cases carried a prison term.
60% of sentences were within the guideline range. Of the rest, 15% were below the range on a government motion, 13% below it for other reasons and 13% above it. The departure and variance table below uses the Commission's nine SENTRNGE categories.
FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2018 (30 against 39). The median prison term in FY2025 (46 months) was longer than in FY2018 (30 months).
§ 3Departures and variances
Within guideline range 60%Above range 13%Below range, government sponsored 15%Below range, other 13%Not determinable 0
| Commission category (SENTRNGE) | Cases | Share | All cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within range | 182 | 59.9% | 47.4% |
| Upward departure | 11 | 3.6% | 0.5% |
| Above-range variance | 27 | 8.9% | 2.6% |
| §5K1.1 substantial assistance | <10 | — | 9.5% |
| §5K3.1 early disposition | 0 | 0.0% | 9.2% |
| Government-sponsored departure | 14 | 4.6% | 1.9% |
| Government-sponsored variance | 29 | 9.5% | 8.0% |
| Downward departure | <10 | — | 2.1% |
| Below-range variance | 39 | 12.8% | 18.8% |
| Missing or indeterminable | 0 | — | — |
Shares are of cases with a determinable range status. Departures cite a provision of the Guidelines Manual; variances rest on the statutory sentencing factors (18 U.S.C. §3553(a)) after United States v. Booker.
§ 4Cases by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 39 | 100% | 30 | 46% | 26% | — | — |
| FY2019 | 40 | — | 37 | 65% | — | — | — |
| FY2020 | 28 | — | 37 | 64% | — | — | — |
| FY2021 | 39 | 100% | 36 | 59% | — | — | — |
| FY2022 | 45 | 100% | 41 | 67% | — | — | — |
| FY2023 | 43 | — | 35 | 49% | — | — | — |
| FY2024 | 40 | — | 30 | 65% | — | — | — |
| FY2025 | 30 | — | 46 | 67% | — | — | — |
§ 5Offence types the Commission assigns
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sex Abuse | 304 | 100.0% |
§ 6Districts with the most cases
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of South Dakota D.S.D. | 52 | — | 24 | 60% | — | 25% |
| District of Arizona D. Ariz. | 44 | — | 50 | 55% | — | — |
| District of North Dakota D.N.D. | 30 | 100% | 35 | 73% | — | 0% |
| Eastern District of Oklahoma E.D. Okla. | 27 | — | 46 | 78% | — | — |
| Northern District of Oklahoma N.D. Okla. | 25 | — | 39 | 68% | — | — |
| District of New Mexico D.N.M. | 22 | 100% | 32 | 50% | — | — |
| District of Montana D. Mont. | 16 | — | 27 | 63% | — | — |
| District of Nebraska D. Neb. | 11 | 100% | 40 | — | — | 0% |
| District of Utah D. Utah | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Washington E.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Washington W.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of North Carolina W.D.N.C. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Mississippi S.D. Miss. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Texas W.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Michigan E.D. Mich. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Michigan W.D. Mich. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Minnesota D. Minn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Wisconsin E.D. Wis. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Oregon D. Or. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Wyoming D. Wyo. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
By circuit
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | 0 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| First Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Second Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Third Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Fourth Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Fifth Circuit | 11 | — | 42 | — | 0% | — |
| Sixth Circuit | 12 | 100% | 37 | — | 0% | — |
| Seventh Circuit | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eighth Circuit | 99 | — | 34 | 64% | 10% | 13% |
| Ninth Circuit | 80 | — | 36 | 53% | 19% | 14% |
| Tenth Circuit | 87 | — | 37 | 62% | 21% | — |
| Eleventh Circuit | 0 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
§ 7Questions and answers
What is §2A3.2?
Section 2A3.2 of the Guidelines Manual: criminal sexual abuse of a minor under 16. On this site a case is counted under a guideline when the Commission records it as the primary guideline (GDLINEHI) applied at sentencing.
What is the typical sentence under §2A3.2?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 36 months (3 years), with the middle half between 22 and 54 months.
How often do sentences under §2A3.2 depart or vary from the range?
40% of sentences were outside the guideline range. Substantial-assistance motions under §5K1.1 accounted for — and below-range variances for 13%.
Which districts see the most §2A3.2 cases?
the District of South Dakota (52), the District of Arizona (44) and the District of North Dakota (30).
§ 8Provenance
Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Guideline is the Commission's GDLINEHI field (primary guideline applied). Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.