Josh Duggar has been sentenced to 151 months in prison following his December 2021 conviction on child pornography charges.
Arkansas judge Timothy L. Brooks called his crimes “the sickest of the sick” before sentencing Duggar, 34, to spend just over 12 years in jail at his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, May 25. The disgraced reality star will be transferred to a federal prison to begin serving time in the near future.
Duggar, 34, was arrested without bail on child pornography charges in April 2021. At the time, his attorney entered a not guilty plea during his arraignment and he was released on bond one month later.
“According to court documents, Joshua James Duggar, 33, allegedly used the internet to download child sexual abuse material,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas said in a press release following the arrest. “Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019.”
Following his release, a judge ruled that the 19 Kids and Counting alum was not allowed to stay at the home he shares with wife Anna Duggar and their seven children. Instead, he was required to stay with family friends Lacount and Maria Reber while he awaited trial. He was, however, granted unlimited contact with his kids, provided that his wife was present.
The couple share Mackynzie, 12, Michael, 10, Marcus, 8, Meredith, 6, Mason, 4, and Maryella, 2, and welcomed daughter Madyson in October 2021, six months after Josh’s arrest.
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar addressed their eldest son’s arrest in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time. The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious,” they said regarding Josh’s legal issues. “It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner. We love Josh and Anna and continue to pray for their family.”
The former TLC personality has previously been involved in multiple scandals over the years. In May 2015, resurfaced court documents revealed that he molested five girls — four of which were related to him — between 2002 and 2003. He was 14 and 15 years old at the time. Sisters Jill Dillard (née Duggar) and Jessa Seewald (née Duggar) came forward one month later, revealing themselves to be two of their brother’s victims.
“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” he said in a statement via Facebook at the time. “We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”
Three months later, Josh made headlines again when his Ashley Madison account was revealed after the infidelity-focused dating site was hacked and customer’s private data was leaked. The Arkansas native confessed to cheating on his wife and subsequently sought treatment and began counseling with Anna.
Josh’s sentencing was originally scheduled for February, but his team successfully filed a motion to have the hearing moved, arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic would prevent them to schedule all their necessary meetings.
from Celebrity News – Us Weekly https://ift.tt/c8zri5e
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