Seminole County prosecutors have formally told a judge they plan to seek the death penalty for a 35-year-old Sanford man accused in a sprawling child-sex case. Daniel Rodriguez, arrested May 19, is charged in a 69-count indictment that prosecutors say includes sexual battery counts and hundreds of images and videos alleged to depict sexual conduct by minors. He remains jailed without bond and is scheduled for arraignment on July 14, 2026.
Prosecutors File Notice to Seek Death Penalty
Assistant State Attorney Daniel Faggard filed a notice of intent to pursue capital punishment on June 11 after a Seminole County grand jury handed up a 69-count indictment against Rodriguez. The indictment lists two counts of sexual battery on a child younger than 12, both classified as capital felonies, along with multiple counts of lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd exhibition, promotion of sexual performance by a child, and possession of material depicting sexual conduct by a child, as reported by WESH.
Prosecutors Cite Digital Trail and Vulnerable Victims
Investigators say the case started with a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which led detectives to two digital video files and nearly 300 additional photos and videos allegedly tied to a Verizon account associated with Rodriguez. Prosecutors allege Rodriguez recorded himself raping, molesting, and exposing himself to two child relatives, and court records identify one alleged victim as a 6-year-old girl. Prosecutors also told reporters they intend to argue that the victims were particularly vulnerable because of their age or the defendant’s familial authority, and that prior violent-felony history could be used as an aggravating factor in a capital case.
How the Capital Case is Expected to Proceed
Once the notice of intent to seek the death penalty is filed, state law kicks in with extra procedural requirements. Prosecutors must spell out the aggravating circumstances they plan to prove, and the defense faces deadlines to respond, including telling the court about any mental-mitigation experts it plans to call. A sample notice posted by the 18th Judicial Circuit shows that the filing lists statutory aggravators and sets timing rules for pretrial motions and disclosures, which becomes the next formal phase after prosecutors announce their intent. The sample notice is available on the Office of the State Attorney website.
Victim Services and Local Context
State Attorney William Scheiner has publicly stressed the need to strengthen services for victims. His office recently created Special Victims Units to better support vulnerable crime victims while pursuing justice, and those units are expected to help handle complex child-abuse prosecutions such as this one, according to the State Attorney's Office. The Rodriguez case will continue through pretrial hearings and could move to a penalty phase if there are convictions on the capital counts, where aggravating and mitigating factors would be weighed. Rodriguez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and prosecutors say they will keep reviewing evidence as the case moves through the Seminole County courts.
