The eldest Duggar son has been arrested on child pornography charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
Josh Duggar, one of the stars of the canceled TLC reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” has been charged with receiving and possessing child porngraphy, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Duggar, 33, allegedly possessed the material, some of which depicted sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Arkansas.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 on each count, the statement said.
“19 Kids and Counting” followed the lives of devout Baptists Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their ever-growing family. TLC canceled the show in 2015 following reports that Josh Duggar, the couple's eldest son, molested five young girls, including some of his younger sisters, when he was 14 to 15 years old.
"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably, for which I am extremely sorry. I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions,” Josh said at the time.
He also said he confessed his "wrongdoing" to his parents at the time and underwent therapy, along with the girls he molested.
Later that year, Josh Duggar was engulfed in another scandal when his name reportedly surfaced among personal details released during the hack of Ashley Madison, an online dating site which slogan boasts: “Life is short. Have an affair.”
Josh admitted to cheating on his wife, Anna Duggar, and checked himself into a “long-term treatment center.”
“We are so thankful for the outpouring of love, care and prayers for our family during this most difficult situation with Josh,” the Duggar family said in a statement at the time. "As parents we are so deeply grieved by our son’s decisions and actions. His wrong choices have deeply hurt his precious wife and children and have negatively affected so many others. He has also brought great insult to the values and faith we hold dear."
Days ago, Anna Duggar announced she and Josh were having a seventh child. Josh Duggar has pleaded not guilty to the child pornography charges.
