Getty Josh Duggar booking photo from April 29, 2021.
The verdict regarding the child pornography charges “19 Kids and Counting” star, Josh Duggar, was facing has been reached.
According to The Sun, Josh was found guilty of both counts, receiving and possessing child pornography via a unanimous jury decision on December 9, 2021. Josh had pleaded not guilty to the charges and his lawyers argued someone else had downloaded the images, according to Insider.
According to TMZ, Prosecutors claimed some of the images Josh downloaded included minors below the age of 12.
Just three weeks ago, one week before the trial began, Josh’s wife Anna announced the birth of their seventh child, Madyson Lily Duggar via an Instagram post on November 16, 2021.
Anna was often seen in court, even holding Josh’s hand as he entered and exited the courthouse on many occasions according to Yahoo.
Josh’s father, Jim Bob Duggar, shared a statement after Josh’s April 2021 arrest, according to the outlet.
“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.”
Josh faces up to 20 years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine. The sentencing will happen in “about four months” and Josh was taken into custody immediately, according to KNWA.
Josh’s Siblings Jill & Jedidiah Were on the Witness List but Did Not End up on the Stand
Two of Josh’s siblings, Jill and Jedidiah, were listed as potential witnesses for the trial, though it wasn’t clear if they were there for the prosecution or the defense, according to The Sun.
The two were never called to the stand, but a family friend, Bobye Holt, did testify. According to Insider, she spoke of Josh’s past admission of molesting four of his sisters. Josh was not on trial for those acts and has never been charged with them but the judge allowed the testimony anyway, the outlet reported.
Many of Josh’s siblings attended the case, including his sister, Joy-Anna Duggar, and her husband Austin Forsyth. The couple released a statement when the charges against Josh were made, according to Yahoo.
“The recent accusations brought against Josh sadden us to our core,” their statement read, according to the outlet. “We have not wanted to be hasty in making any statements while trying to process the news ourselves. We are especially heartbroken by the reality that there are children in the world being harmed and exploited.”
Josh’s Dad, Jim Bob Duggar, Announced His Candidacy for Arkansas State Senate on October 29, 2021
Jim Bob took to Facebook on Friday, October 29, 2021, to announce he’ll be re-entering politics by running for a state senate position, despite the looming case against his son.
“I am honored to announce my candidacy for Arkansas State Senate District 7. Northwest Arkansas is my lifelong home. It’s where my wife, Michelle, and I have raised our 20 children,” he wrote. “It’s where we’ve grown our small businesses. It’s where we’ve built a life centered around our faith, family, and friends.”
He plans to run on a “pro-family, pro-business, pro-gun and pro-life” campaign, according to the post.
This announcement came amid the court case against his son.
According to People, Josh was arrested in April 2021 and charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. This was not Josh’s only controversy. A 2006 police report revealed Josh had been investigated “inappropriately touching five underage girls” including his sisters Jill and Jessa, People reported.
Josh later admitted to cheating on his wife and having a porn addiction in August 2015, People reported.
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