Jan. 6 Rioter Pardoned By Trump Remains Jailed In Child Sex Abuse Case

Crime

A North Carolina man who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is still facing charges of possessing child sex abuse material.

David Paul Daniel, 37, pleaded guilty this month to overwhelming a heavy wooden barricade at the Capitol and pushing it into the officers standing on the other side, according to a criminal complaint obtained by HuffPost. Shortly after the first breach, prosecutors say, Daniel led a second breach into the Senate Wing Door before escaping through a broken window. He was among 600 people charged with resisting, assaulting or impeding law enforcement — all of whom were pardoned by Trump on his first day of office.

David Paul Daniel at Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, on the National Mall, before Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on the day Congress met to certify Electoral College votes. — David Paul Daniel at Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, on the National Mall, before Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on the day Congress met to certify Electoral College votes.

Agents were initially able to identify Daniel by looking through his non-private social media accounts, where he posted images of himself wearing clothing items that appeared to match what he wore at the Capitol, according to the complaint.

The FBI investigation then discovered that Daniel had already been under investigation in Charlotte, North Carolina, over allegations of child exploitation, according to an application for a criminal complaint obtained by HuffPost.

The Mint Hill Police Department in suburban Charlotte told federal investigators that from 2015 to 2019, Daniel had made a minor shower with him, sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, took nude photos of her and directed her to take photos of herself, according to the police document.

Daniel denied any inappropriate conduct with the girl, but he told Mint Hill detectives he could not recall if he had showered with her or not, according to a 2021 interview cited in the application.

On Nov. 30, 2023, FBI agents and Mint Hill police searched Daniel’s home, where they seized an iPhone 14 Pro Max, two laptops and two iPads, according to the application. One of the laptops allegedly contained sexually explicit images of the girl.

During the investigation, another girl said she was also sexually involved with Daniel, according to the criminal complaint application. Images of sexual abuse of the second girl were also recovered from an iPhone belonging to Daniel, police reported.

Daniel was indicted in October 2024 on federal charges of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty, and in December 2024, he was moved to federal custody in Washington, D.C., for proceedings in the Capitol riot case.

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On Jan. 8, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer at the Capitol, and though he was pardoned by Trump in that case, he remains in custody while the child abuse case is pending, according to court records reviewed by HuffPost.

An attorney representing Daniel did not immediately respond to HuffPost when asked for a comment.

Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.