Josh Duggar, the former reality TV star, has been found guilty of downloading and possessing child pornography. On Wednesday, the federal jury found the 33-year-old guilty of one count each. He faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 for each count. Duggar starred on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” with his family for several years until the show was canceled in 2015 when allegations surfaced that he had molested several of his sisters and a babysitter.
Following the show’s cancellation and the allegations, Duggar issued an apology and also admitted to being unfaithful to his wife, Anna.
“I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife,” he said in a statement on the family’s website.
“I am so ashamed of the double life that I have been living and am grieved for the hurt, pain and disgrace my sin has caused my wife and family, and most of all Jesus and all those who profess faith in Him.”
“As I am learning the hard way, we have the freedom to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequences. I deeply regret all the hurt I have caused so many by being such a bad example,” he continued in part.
According to the Associated Press, officials first investigated Duggar in 2006, but were unable to pursue anything further due to statute of limitations.
However, in April 2021, Duggar was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service and indicted by a federal grand jury in Arkansas alleging that he “knowingly” received sexual images of child some who were toddlers in 2019.
Several days after his arrest he was released from police custody, and his trial, which lasted six days, began months later.
Despite the defense’s attempts to claim that someone else downloaded and saved the images on Duggar’s computer, the jury was convinced after listening to testimony from ten witnesses from the prosecution and two defense witnesses that Duggar was guilty.
In the end they deliberated for seven hours before reaching their verdict.
Duggar will face sentencing in about four months, according to KNWA. He was taken into custody following the verdict.
