'Suspected child predator' that was pardoned by Trump was arrested in Texas
A "suspected child predator" pardoned by President Donald Trump after being convicted of assaulting police during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was arrested Thursday on a charge of online solicitation of a minor.
Andrew Taake, 36, of Houston, had been wanted on an outstanding warrant for the May 2016 felony charge, The Harris County District Attorney's Office confirmed on social media.
According to a statement from District Attorney Sean Teare, the 11:30 a.m. arrest took place after surveillance conducted Tuesday confirmed Taake was staying at a home in Leon County, about 100 miles northwest of Houston.
'We would like to thank the coordinated efforts of our office's Fugitive Apprehension Section, Leon County Sheriff's Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety for their diligence in getting this suspected child predator back into custody,' Teare said.
County officials previously requested Taake remain in custody on outstanding warrant
Last month, on the first day of his second term, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection, including Taake.
Before Taake's Jan. 20 release from Florence, Colorado where he was serving a sentence for his role in the Capitol riot, a member of the Harris County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Warrants Division requested federal authorities hold Taake, due to his pending warrant in Harris County at the time, Teare's office said.
"That request was filed back in 2022," the office wrote in a Jan. 27 news release. "The Bureau of Prisons informed our office they must have a certified warrant to prevent Taake's release. Although a clerk faxed a copy of that warrant on January 15, Taake was released five days later, in accordance with President Trump's pardon order."
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Who is Andrew Taake?
Before Trump pardoned him last month, Taake had been serving a more than six-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in connection to his role in the insurrection, according to United States District Court for the District of Columbia court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Prior to his conviction, the FBI received a tip about Taake's participation in the riot from someone he matched with on the dating app Bumble, according to a criminal complaint filed July 23. Screenshots of the conversation show Taake sharing pictures of him at the riot, captioned 'About 30 minutes after being sprayed,' the document said.
Andrew Taake jailed without bond awaiting extradition
On Friday morning, a Leon County Sheriff's Office deputy told USA TODAY Taake remained jailed without bond, awaiting extradition to Harris County. It was not immediately known whether he had obtained an attorney in the case.
According to the DA's release, the Harris County Sheriff's Office will work with Leon County authorities to transfer Taake to the Harris County jail, where he will also remain without a bond as he awaits trial.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
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