Parents Accused of Leaving 6-Month-Old Baby Unattended on a Beach May Avoid Jail Time

A couple accused of abandoning their 6-month-old baby in a beach tent while taking a stroll with their three other kids is getting a chance to avoid jail time, Law&Crime reported on Sunday, June 21.

Brian Wilks, 41, and his wife, Sara Wilks, 37, were charged with child neglect without great bodily harm in October 2025, as per the official report from the Walton County, Florida Sheriff’s Office.

Rather than taking the case to trial, the Texas couple, who were on vacation at the time of the incident, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement requiring them to complete 25 hours of community service, attend a parenting course, and avoid further legal trouble for one year.  The charges against the couple will be dismissed only if they meet those conditions, according to the outlet.

The investigation began last year after beachgoers spotted the infant alone and contacted 911. Deputies and paramedics responded to the scene, where the baby was checked by medical personnel.

Witnesses also told the first responders that the parents were gone for about an hour, according to body-camera footage obtained by Law&Crime.

The couple claimed in their defense that they were close by, but the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said both parents later admitted placing the child under the tent for a nap before leaving with their other kids, claiming they lost track of time.

Deputies arrested the couple, and the Department of Children and Families took the kids until the family could get them, WKRG reported in October 2025.