Josh Duggar Pleads Not Guilty to Child Pornography Charges
Former 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar was arrested by Homeland Security on Thursday and held in a prison in Arkansas’ Washington County. During a court hearing appearance via Zoom, Duggar pleaded not guilty Friday to the two charges against him: one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. His attorneys declined to have the judge read out the charges against him.
Duggar allegedly used the internet to download material of child sexual abuse, “some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019,” according to a press release. His arrest comes days after his wife Anna Duggar announced on her Instagram that she and Josh are expecting their seventh child together, a baby girl.
This isn’t the first time Duggar has been in trouble with the law for his inappropriate behavior. In mid-May 2015, Josh apologized for his “wrongdoing” after a 2006 police report revealed that he had been investigated as a teen for inappropriately touching five underage girls. His sisters Jill, 25, and Jessa, 24, subsequently stepped forward as two of the victims. Months later, in August 2015, Gawker reported that Duggar, the oldest son of the TV family, appeared to have had active accounts on Ashley Madison, a website created to facilitate cheating on your spouse.
Oh man, Josh Duggar got arrested for possession of child porn? What a total surpr- nope, I can’t even tweet that with a straight face. Of COURSE he was charged with possession of child porn because he’s a total creep.
Apropos of nothing… pic.twitter.com/UJmqQajnKk
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) April 30, 2021
Josh ultimately confessed to having a pornography addiction and cheating on his wife in an apologetic statement on the Duggar family website.
Democratic Messaging Opportunity: If you're not speaking to the press, emailing, posting today about how Republicans are Matt Gaetz, Rudy Giuliani & Josh Duggar, and how THEY are The Republican Party, you're failing. Also sharing pics of them w all their elected pals
— Cliff Schecter (@cliffschecter) April 30, 2021
Duggar also had a previous run-in with Homeland Security when his place of employment, an Arkansas car dealership, was also raided as part of an “ongoing federal investigation” in November 2019, authorities told TV station KNWA at the time. It was unclear whether Josh was the focus of the investigation, and the dealership has since closed.
Notorious Child rapist/GQP donor Josh Duggar was taken into custody by Homeland Security yesterday and today he pleaded not guilty to the charges that his attorney begged the judge not to read aloud. The charges are “receiving and possessing child pornography.”
See a pattern? 🧐
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) April 30, 2021
If he is convicted, Josh Duggar faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 on each count.