Jan 6 Rioter Pardoned by Trump Faces Child Sex Charges

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https://www.newsweek.com/january-six-ri ... es-2024043

A January 6 rioter pardoned by Donald Trump is facing child sex charges, which he was arrested for prior to his presidential pardon.
David Daniel, who was set free from prison after assaulting a police officer on January 6 by the president, is now facing child sexual assault and child pornography charges involving two young girls in his family, one prepubescent and one under the age of 12.
He is not the only freed Capitol rioter with a child sex crime charge. Andrew Taake, who was also pardoned after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, is currently on the run from Texas police. He is wanted for charges of online solicitation of a minor, which allegedly occurred in 2016.
The Mint Hill Police Department in North Carolina has been contacted via email for further comment.

Why It Matters
Child pornography was found in Daniel's house during a raid searching for material connecting him to January 6. Given the blanket pardon for his role in the riot, his lawyer may argue that the child pornography the police found cannot be used in court, as it is connected to January 6.
President Trump has said he represents the party of "law and order." However, in issuing a blanket pardon for over 1,500 rioters, he has let people with pending charges such as child sexual assault, online solicitation of a minor, death by drunk driving and federal gun charges out of prison. And, in Daniel's case, he has made it potentially more difficult for the police to follow through with charges.

What To Know
Daniel's charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and the production and possession of child pornography, which allegedly involved a prepubescent minor and a minor under 12 years old, arose after police seized his devices in connection to a warrant for his January 6 charges.
After taking his phone and laptop with two hard drives, the police uncovered Daniel's alleged child pornography collection.

Federal investigators were also made aware that Daniel had a pending statutory rape charge in Mint Hill, North Carolina, per Fox 8 reporting. The photos found on his devices were allegedly consistent with that charge.
After being arrested on September 20, 2024, his ex-wife, who is also the mother of one of the victims, appeared in court to ask that he not be released.
Daniel was already in jail for his child sexual assault charges when he pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer on January 6. Now that he has been pardoned for his federal charges, he still faces trial for his child sex crime.

What People Are Saying
Magistrate Judge David Keesler said in Daniel's order of detention: "The government's forecast of evidence is compelling and suggests defendant engaged in sexual acts with two young girls in his own family."
President Trump's mass pardon said: "This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation."

What Happens Next
David Daniel is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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There's more:

https://whyy.org/articles/donald-trump- ... s-rioters/

Theodore Middendorf was accused by Illinois prosecutors of “Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child.” Prosecutors said in a court filing obtained by NPR that Middendorf “committed an act of sexual penetration.” Indiana state records indicate that Middendorf’s victim was 7 years old.
Middendorf entered a guilty plea in that case in May 2024 and was sentenced to 19 years in prison. He is currently registered as a sex offender in the state and remains in custody on those charges.
Separately, Middendorf pleaded guilty to destruction of government property for striking a window at the U.S. Capitol with a flagpole on Jan. 6. He had not yet been sentenced for his role in the Capitol riot when the Justice Department moved to dismiss his case following Trump’s order.

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Pardoned Jan 6 Rioter Still In Prison On Child Porn Charges: https://www.lpm.org/news/2025-01-22/ken ... d-by-trump

A Kentuckian recently charged with assaulting officers had his charges dropped Wednesday before facing trial. Andrew Kyle Grigsby of Louisville was indicted just last week on five felonies, alleged to have used bear spray against officers.

Though a federal judge granted a motion to dismiss Grigsby’s charges Wednesday, he is not yet a free man. He is currently incarcerated in a Kentucky prison, following his guilty plea last year for two counts of possessing or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor.

Asked about the Trump pardons, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Kentucky said they were a fulfillment of the president’s campaign promise. “Nobody should be surprised by these pardons because it was a campaign promise that President Trump has firmly stood behind since announcing his candidacy,” Andrew Westberry stated.