Green Creek resident held on $200,000 bond

GREEN CREEK — A Green Creek man is currently being held in the Polk County Jail under a $200,000 bond after being suspected of possessing child pornography.

Gabriel Charles Hostetler, 35, of Green Creek, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with five counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to sheriff reports.

The sheriff’s office investigation division is handling the case. Hostetler reportedly moved to Green Creek earlier this year from Spartanburg County, according to sheriff reports. 

Detectives received information in regards to Hostetler being in possession of files containing child pornography.

Officials said that due to the nature of the case, they contacted the Department of Homeland Security to assist in the investigation and to process the electronic media devices.

Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill asks that parents closely monitor the use of media devices used by their children, and to report any concerns to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children,” Sheriff Hill said on Friday.

Second-degree exploitation of a minor is a class E felony in North Carolina. An offense occurs if someone, knowing the character or content of the material, records, photographs, films, develops or duplicates material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity; distributes, transports, exhibits, receives, sells, purchases, exchanges or solicits material that contains a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity.

In prosecution under the statute, the trier of fact may infer that a participant in sexual activity whom material though its title, text, visual representation or other represents or depicts as a minor is a minor.

Mistake of age is not a defense to a prosecution under state statutes.