A Trump-pardoned January 6 rioter has pleaded guilty in a separate federal case involving child sexual abuse material, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
David Daniel, who was previously granted clemency for his role in the 2021 US Capitol attack, entered a plea agreement with prosecutors in North Carolina over charges tied to the sexual exploitation of minors.
David Daniel was involved in the January 6 Capitol riot and was later given a pardon by Donald Trump in January 2025, along with many others. But that pardon only covers crimes related to the Capitol riot. It does not protect him from other, separate crimes—like the child sexual abuse charges he is now pleading guilty to.
Earlier this year, a judge confirmed that distinction, ruling that Daniel could still face prosecution for separate cases.
Earlier Allegations Prior to Jan. 6 Riot
Court filings outline allegations that stretch back several years, long before Daniel's involvement in the Capitol unrest.
Prosecutors claim that in 2015 and 2016, he coerced a minor under the age of 12 'to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of the conduct'. According to the same documents, Daniel used a mobile phone to record the material and later stored it on a hard drive.
A second set of allegations focuses on conduct in 2021. Federal prosecutors say Daniel coerced another minor, this time under the age of 18, to produce sexually explicit images. The documents state that he gave instructions on the type of content he wanted, which was then sent to his iPhone via an online messaging platform.
Authorities say the material was discovered in November 2023, coinciding with Daniel's arrest in connection with the Capitol riot. The overlap in timing has drawn attention, though the two cases remain legally distinct.
His legal team ultimately negotiated a plea deal with federal prosecutors, bringing the case to its current stage.
Pardon Does Not Cover New Charges
The limits of presidential pardons have come into sharp focus as a result of the case.
While Trump's mass clemency decision covered offences linked to the Capitol attack, it did not shield recipients from prosecution over unrelated conduct. In Daniel's case, the court has already made clear that the pardon offers no protection against the child exploitation charges.
Legal observers note that this distinction is straightforward in law but often misunderstood in public debate. A pardon removes penalties for specific offences; it does not act as a blanket immunity for future or previously undiscovered crimes. That principle has been tested repeatedly in cases involving high-profile defendants, but rarely in circumstances as stark as this one.
At present, it remains unclear when Daniel will be sentenced. The plea agreement indicates an admission of guilt to serious federal offences, which typically carry significant penalties. However, sentencing outcomes depend on a range of factors, including the specifics of the plea deal and judicial discretion.
No additional public statements from prosecutors or defence representatives were included in the documents. Some details around the case, including the full scope of evidence presented in court, remain limited to what has been disclosed so far.
