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Pardoned Jan. 6 Defendant Reaches Plea Deal in Federal Child Exploitation Case

The plea underscores a court finding that Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons do not cover separate child‑exploitation charges.

Overview

  • Federal court filings in North Carolina say David Daniel has agreed to plead guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor and possessing child sexual abuse images.
  • Prosecutors say he enticed a child younger than 12 to create explicit images in 2015–2016 and persuaded another victim under 18 to do the same.
  • Investigators say they uncovered the conduct while examining his role in the Capitol breach after his November 2023 arrest.
  • A U.S. judge ruled in January that the Jan. 6 pardon’s language does not apply to these child‑exploitation counts, allowing the case to proceed.
  • Other pardoned Jan. 6 defendants have been sentenced in separate child‑sex cases, including Daniel Tocci to four years and Andrew Paul Johnson to life in prison.