Easley man convicted of sexual exploitation of petty business

EASLEY — A man who was caught with child pornography material — while on bail for previous child pornography charges — has been sentenced to prison.

Gabriel Hostetler pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to reports, in June 2021, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office was investigating the use of a file-sharing network for the distribution and possession of child pornography. A special agent found a user making child sexual abuse files available for sharing and determined that the material originated from a home in Inman.

Hostetler was arrested and admitted to authorities that he used his cell phone to share images of child sexual abuse. Investigators said at the time that they found “multiple images” on his device.

He was arrested and charged with 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

In September 2022, Special Investigator Kevin Atkins of the District Attorney’s Office conducted a similar investigation and discovered child sexual abuse material being shared from a home in Easley.

Investigators learned that Hostetler was living at the residence with a family member while he was out on bail for his initial charges. He again admitted to using his phone for child pornography, and investigators found more illegal images.

Under his plea agreement, Hostetler was sentenced to six years in prison and served 787 days. He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release, officials said.

Additionally, according to court documents, additional charges are pending against Hostetler outside of Spartanburg County.