Josh Duggar Requests Change to His Child Pornography Trial

Josh Duggar

Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images Former "19 Kids and Counting" star Josh Duggar requested a change in his child pornography trial.

Embattled former reality TV star Josh Duggar requested a change in his child pornography trial. Duggar would like the criminal trial to be pushed until at least February 2022 so he has more time to prove his innocence, according to court documents obtained on June 17 by Radar Online. The trial is slated to begin July 6, though the courts haven’t responded to Duggar’s request at the time of publishing.

“This is a complex case arising out of a several-year federal investigation concerning allegations involving both the so-called ‘dark web’ and peer-to-peer BitTorrent file-sharing networks,” the court filing said, per Radar Online.

According to Duggar’s team, the case will heavily focus on “computer forensic evidence.” They hired a specialist to conduct a forensic investigation of their own, which could take months, which is why they requested the trial be pushed back. Additionally, Duggar’s team said per Radar Online that “there are certain key witnesses whom the Government did not interview and certain sources of possible evidence the Government did not obtain during its investigation.”

Another reason is that Duggar’s lead attorney, Justin Gelfand, has four federal criminal trials that are supposed to begin between July 2021 and November 2021, local Arkansas news outlet KHBS reported. The coronavirus pandemic caused delays in the trials, which is why they were scheduled close together.


Duggar Was Not Allowed to Return Home After Being Released From Jail

Duggar, 33, was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security on April 29, 2021, and accused of downloading and possessing images of child sexual abuse. Some of the pictures included minors under the age of 12, KHBS added.

Duggar — whose Christian fundamentalist family appeared on the TLC show “19 Kids and Counting” — was released from jail on May 5, 2021. He wasn’t allowed to return home to his wife, Anna Duggar, and their six children.

The 33-year-old was mandated to stay with a third-party chaperone where there are no minor children. Pop Culture reported Duggar was residing with LaCount and Maria Reber, his parents’ friends from church.

While the used car salesman is permitted to speak to his children if his wife approves it, he’s not allowed to be alone with them.

Duggar is also not allowed to watch pornography, possess firearms, controlled substances, or a passport.

Duggar’s wife announced her pregnancy with their seventh child the week before he was arrested. The baby is due in the fall.


Duggar Maintains His Innocence

Duggar pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography in the Western District Court of Arkansas. If convicted, he could be fined up to $500,000 and face 20 years behind bars, Page Six reported.

“In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime. But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom — and that is exactly what Josh intends to do,” Duggar’s attorney said in a statement after his April 2021 arrest.

Duggar’s parents, Jim and Michelle, also issued a statement after their eldest son was detained. “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,” they said, per People.

“We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time,” the joint statement continued. “The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious.”

Duggar was previously accused of sexually abusing five underage girls — including four of his sisters — when he was a teenager. The former reality star never faced charges over those accusations.

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