David Paul Daniel
David Paul Daniel is one of the rioters arrested for participating in the January 6th riots at the United States Capitol when Donald Trump lost the 2020 Presidential election.
Daniel and another rioter led the charge to push a heavy wooden barricade through a group of police officers so they could gain access to the Senate Wing Door hallway. He then entered the Capitol Building illegally, wandered for some time before exiting through a broken window.
FBI agents were able to identify David Paul Daniel from his public social media accounts, where he was seen in photographs wearing the same clothing that he wore to assault the Capitol.
During their investigation, the FBI discovered that conservative MAGA rioter David Paul Daniel was under investigation by the Mint Hill, South Carolina police department for numerous counts of child sexual exploitation.
According to the police report, Daniel had convinced a female minor to shower with him, sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, took illegal nude photos of her and directed her to take photos of herself to send to him.
After his arrest for his participation in the January 6 attacks, police found photographs and other evidence in his phone that corroborated those claims. During the subsequent investigation, another underage girl came forward with similar allegations. Police also found illegal images of that girl on Daniel’s devices.
David Paul Daniel was pardoned by Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025 as part of a blanket pardon of all of the Capitol rioters.
In March of 2025, Daniel’s lawyer filed a brief to dismiss his pending charges for production and possession of child pornography, arguing that because the evidence was discovered during his arrest for his acts on January 6th, his pardon from President Trump also covered his alleged activities.
MAGA rioter David Paul Daniel is currently in custody in North Carolina awaiting trial for production and possession of child pornography.
References:
North Carolina man pleads guilty to helping crowd storm Capitol during Jan. 6 riots, Charlotte Observer
NC man says his Jan. 6 pardon from Trump means child porn charges should be dropped too, Charlotte Observer
