Josh Duggar Sentenced To 12 Years 7 Months In Federal Prison For Child Porn Conviction!

Josh Duggar has been sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. The former 19 Kids and Counting star was also ordered to pay fines and assessments of $50,100, according to a report by The Sun. The outlet reported that Duggar had “no reaction” to the sentencing. 

U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks handed down the sentence to the 34-year-old father of seven on Wednesday, at the Western District of Arkansas Federal Courthouse in Fayetteville. The sentence falls short of about eight years of the maximum prison time the former reality star faced. Duggar’s father, Jim Bob, wife, Anna, and sister, Joy-Anna, were snapped supporting Duggar at the courthouse. 

Justin Gelfand, Duggar’s lead defense attorney, stated that an appeal would be filed within two weeks. His legal team commented earlier in the day that Duggar maintains his innocence. 

United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, David Clay Fowlkes, stated—”This isn’t the sentence we asked for, but it is a sentence we’re proud of.”

Duggar “knowingly received” child pornography between the dates of May 14-16, 2009, according to the grand jury indictment, filed by the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Arkansas. Some of the images included children under the age of 12, according to prosecutors. Investigators described the materials as “the worst of the worst” they had ever seen, during the trial.

In November 2019, federal agents raided Duggar’s office inside his car dealership where they seized his computer and other electronic devices. He was arrested on Thursday, April 29, 2021, and charged with receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children. A Department of Homeland Security official stated that Josh possessed over 200 images of nude minors and material pertaining to child sexual abuse. The material reportedly revealed children as young as five years old.

Duggar’s six-day trial ended in a guilty verdict in December 2021. The jury deliberated for seven hours. The trial lasted two weeks and included testimonies from multiple witnesses and digital forensic analysts. One family friend, Bobye Holt, tearfully testified that Duggar admitted to molesting a five-year-old girl when he was a teenager.  

Duggar will be prohibited from any unsupervised contact with minors upon his release from prison and will remain under the supervision of a parole officer for 20 years. He must participate in sex offender treatment and may not view any type of pornography. He must also comply with random searches. 

Duggar’s mother, Michelle, pushed for leniency, via a letter submitted to the judge, claiming that her son “has a tender heart and he is compassionate toward others.” Duggar’s wife, Anna, did the same, labeling her husband a “loving, supportive and caring father.”

Duggar and Anna share seven kids— Mackynzie, 12, Michael, 10, Marcus, 8, Meredith, 6, Mason, 4, Maryella, 2, and Madyson, 6 months.

Duggar’s sister, Jinger Duggar, praised the jury for its decision in a posted statement on Instagram. 

“We are saddened for the victims of horrific child abuse. We are also saddened for Josh’s family, his wife, and precious children,” she wrote, in part.

Joy-Anna and her husband, Austin Forsyth, also publicly agreed with the verdict. 

 

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