A social media influencer who gained a following sharing his picturesque Gulf Coast lifestyle with his wife online has been sentenced to five years behind bars for child pornography.
Georgia native Joshua David Stapleton, 39, received a 20-year sentence, with five years served in jail and another 15 years on probation after pleading guilty to 20 counts of sexual exploitation of children, according to court documents obtained by Fox 5 Atlanta.
Stapleton and his wife run the “Gulf Coast Stapletons” social media account, which has racked up more than 86,000 followers and over a million likes on TikTok and Instagram.
Joshua David Stapleton, 39, received a 20-year sentence, with 5 years to be served in custody and the remaining 15 on probation. Bartow County Sheriff’s Office
Investigators learned that between 2018 and 2020, Stapleton downloaded images of prepubescent children in sexually abusive situations.
He was initially charged with 15 counts