Jan. 6 Rioter Pardoned By Trump Gets Prison Sentence For Possessing 'enormous Child Pornography Collection'

A man pardoned by President Donald Trump for his actions connected Jan. 6 has been sentenced for possessing much than 100,000 kid intersexual maltreatment images and videos discovered successful relationship pinch his Capitol riot case.

Daniel Tocci was sentenced to 4 years successful situation by U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni of nan District of Massachusetts aft he pleaded blameworthy to possession of kid pornography, according to a Justice Department news release Monday that made nary mention of nan Jan. 6 link. Tocci had been group to spell to proceedings successful nan Jan. 6 lawsuit early past year, but it was dismissed aft Trump granted wide clemency to astir 1,500 defendants tied to nan onslaught connected nan Capitol.

Federal prosecutors wrote successful a sentencing memo successful nan kid pornography lawsuit that, successful summation to nan kid activity maltreatment material, Tocci's laptop "contained highly disturbing images of convulsive acts, specified arsenic a feline being killed by being put successful a blender, a antheral shooting a female successful nan head, a canine being beaten to death, and severed heads and limbs, arsenic good arsenic images and videos of bestiality.”

Before he pleaded guilty successful September, Tocci's lawyer had argued for nan dismissal of nan kid intersexual maltreatment worldly lawsuit because “all nan evidence" stemmed from nan pardoned Jan. 6 case.

"The lawsuit against Mr. Tocci must beryllium dismissed because nan entirety of nan grounds stems from a warrant that, according to President Trump, should ne'er person issued," Tocci's lawyer wrote successful July. "President Trump recognized nan ongoing quality of nan injustice against Mr. Tocci, arsenic nan investigation took spot complete nan people of 4 years, and nan instant lawsuit is still being prosecuted."

The Justice Department did not respond to nan mobility earlier Tocci's lawyer withdrew it up of a plea hearing.

During Trump's 2nd term, nan Justice Department has taken different approaches to whether grounds seized successful nan people of Jan. 6 investigations tin beryllium utilized to prosecute different crimes, arguing that weapon crime cases should beryllium dismissed but not kid pornography cases for illustration Tocci's. Last year, Trump re-pardoned Jan. 6 defendant Dan Wilson complete a weapon lawsuit that stemmed from his Capitol siege case.

The Justice Department also contended that Trump's sweeping Jan. 6 pardons did not use to a Capitol rioter's plot to termination members of nan FBI for investigating him, resulting successful a life sentence.

Brian Cole Jr., who has been charged successful relationship pinch nan tube bombs near extracurricular nan Republican and Democratic nationalist committee office connected nan eve of nan Jan. 6 attack, has besides argued that Trump's sweeping pardon should use to nan charged conduct. Justice Department attorneys this week asked for much clip to respond to Cole's statement astir Trump's pardon.

Former Jan. 6 suspect Andrew Paul Johnson was sentenced this period to life successful prison aft he was convicted of kid activity crimes. Law enforcement officials alleged Johnson utilized nan committedness of money he claimed he would person from a Jan. 6 colony pinch nan Justice Department — 1 that has not materialized — to soundlessness 1 of his victims. Trump has floated nan thought of compensating Jan. 6 rioters, but nary 1 has received immoderate payments.