What we know about Santa Rosa deputy who was fired after being charged with molesting girl

Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal
·2 min read
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The former Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office deputy who was arrested Tuesday night was charged with molesting an 11-year-old in 2016, according to his arrest report.

The report states the now-17-year-old girl told her therapist that ex-school resource officer David Clifton Daniels inappropriately touched her while she was sleeping between Daniels and his wife.

"(She) was sleeping in the middle, and she woke up to David rubbing her (inappropriately) with his hand underneath her clothes," the report states. "(She) told David to stop and he did."

Daniels later allegedly "made excuses" for the incident such as he was drunk and was asleep while it happened.

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SRSO's Major Crimes Division received transcripts of a deposition between Daniels and an unidentified person who asked Daniels if he believed the victim was lying about the incident in Deerborn, Missouri, to which he responded, "Yes."

"I remember the incident she's talking about. I woke up and had my hand on (her) waistline, and that's when I woke (redacted) up," the reports states. "So no, (she) was never sexually assaulted."

Daniels claimed he woke up his wife after he discovered he was touching the girl's waist. However, the report notes the girl "had a clear and consistent disclosure of the incident" and Daniel's wife denied his claim of being awoken after the incident.

Before he was fired, Daniels was a school resource officer at High Road School in Santa Rosa School District.

The SRSO announced Daniels's arrest and subsequent firing from his position with the department Tuesday.

"This is another case of an individual that has tarnished the badge," Sheriff Bob Johnson said in the release. "Once we were made aware of it, we responded appropriately, arrested him, and terminated his employment. At the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, we put our citizens first and any deputy who breaks the law will be immediately held accountable."

Daniels is held in Okaloosa County Jail without bond.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Santa Rosa County Florida deputy charged with molesting 11-year-old