A California man who was pardoned by Donald Trump for his role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol has been convicted on child porn charges.
Prosecutors say Kyle Travis Colton, 37, downloaded and stored several images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children between July 2022 and December 2023. He also bookmarked known child porn websites.
Investigators found the materials on Colton’s laptop during a search of his home.
After a one day trial, a federal jury convicted Colton on one count of receiving child pornography, according to acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Colton was among the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and disruptive conduct in restricted building or grounds relating to his role in the insurrection.
Colton was pardoned by Trump in one his first acts after returning to office in January.
Another pardoned rioter, David Paul Daniel, is also facing child porn charges, but he is arguing that the charges should be dropped because images were found on his devices during an investigation into his role in the Jan. 6 attack and the Trump pardon covers it.
“The charges here are unrelated to the January 6 case,” his attorney wrote in a motion to the judge arguing for the charges to be dropped. “Mr. Daniel does not argue that the Pardon directly reaches this case. Rather, the Pardon requires dismissal because this case is entirely based on evidence that was seized pursuant to search warrants obtained exclusively in furtherance of that now-pardoned January 6 case.”
