Former Coral Springs cop sentenced to prison for soliciting a child for sex

A former Coral Springs police officer has been sentenced to more than a year in state prison after authorities said he solicited sex acts from a child.

Steven Daniello, now 64, remained in the Broward County Jail on Monday, awaiting transfer to prison, Sheriff’s Office records show. He pleaded guilty last week to two felony charges of soliciting a minor for unlawful sexual conduct using a computer device.

Daniello will get prison credit for four days previously served in jail, and when he finishes his sentence he’ll be on probation for more than 3 years.

Court records show he must register as a sex offender and was forced to give up his law enforcement certification, must have no contact with his victim, and owes $10,680 in restitution.

Daniello most recently worked as a school resource officer for Westchester Elementary School in Coral Springs. He was arrested in January 2021, months after speaking to a family friend online.

In the conversations, Daniello offered to “pay the victim for nude photos, and Daniello and the victim discussed the victim performing sexual acts on Daniello,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.

An undercover detective, posing as the child, then began talking to Daniello. As Daniello spoke with the undercover detective, he wanted “the victim to perform oral sex on him,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

Immediately after his arrest, Daniello received notice he would be terminated from his job at the Coral Springs Police Department, where he had worked since 2017. Before that he had worked at the Coconut Creek Police Department.

Daniello’s defense attorney, Jeremy Kroll, could not be reached for comment Monday.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com or 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash