Josh Duggar accused of ‘being on sex offender registry’ for ‘molesting sisters’ years before child pornography arrest
JOSH Duggar is believed to have been placed on the sex offender registry after “molesting his sisters” years before his child pornography arrest, court papers claim.
, 33, was arrested and charged with possessing and receiving child pornography in April.
The arrest came years after In Touch Weekly uncovered a 33-page Arkansas police report in 2015 claiming Jim Bob confessed to local authorities that his eldest son fondled the breasts and genitals of young girls while they were asleep in the Duggar family home back in 2006.
His younger sisters Jill, 29, and Jessa, 28, came forward as two of the victims in an interview with Megyn Kelly, where they insisted they had forgiven Josh, who was never charged, for his sins.
In May 2017, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, 27, and Joy-Anna, 23, sued the City of Springdale, Bauer, who owns In Touch, and other Defendants for invasion of privacy and more, claiming releasing the records caused "extreme mental anguish and emotional distress."
The Sun can exclusively reveal the Springdale Defendants served the Department of Human Services with a subpoena on August 2, 2021.
DHS responded by filing a Motion to Quash the subpoena, which means to make a ruling that the subpoena could not be enforced.
The Defendants argued that Jim Bob and Michelle’s daughters' claims are that the molestation by Josh was “private information not within the public knowledge.”
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But they claim Josh’s molestation was within public knowledge before the police report was released.
The court papers allege, without providing evidence, that "Joshua Duggar was placed on the sex offender registry and a legal proceeding was undertaken to remove Joshua Duggar from the sex offender registry.
“The Defendants have a substantial and compelling need for the documentation in the possession of DHS. The Defendants are entitled to this information and documentation due to one of the central elements of Plaintiffs claims being public disclosure of private information.
“If Joshua Duggar was placed on the sex offender registry other information such as incest, molestation of family members, or other identifying information could have led to the disclosure of the information Plaintiffs claim was private and not known to the public.
“Additionally, correspondence between Joshua Duggar and/or his agents in the possession of DHS regarding his removal from the sex offender registry could provide information as to the public knowledge of Joshua Duggar’s acts of molestation and his victims.”
They are requesting the court deny DHS’ motion and compel them to agree to the subpoena.
The subpoena includes all “investigation files, records, documents, communications, reports, and information regarding or related to Joshua Duggar, Jim Bob Duggar, Michelle Duggar, Jill Dillard, Jessa Seewald, Jinger Vuolo, an Joy Forsyth or representatives or agents acting on behalf of those listen herein.”
It remains unclear whether Duggar was placed on the sex offender registry, as alleged.
YouTube channel was the first to report on the filing.
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
Josh pleaded not guilty to the two child pornography counts.
The trial has been reset to November 30 and has the potential to last until December 3.
As The Sun previously reported, Josh’s legal team filed court documents to have the case dismissed.
Attorneys for the disgraced 19 Kids and Counting star filed a motion to dismiss the case because the government allegedly failed to “preserve potentially exculpatory evidence,” which is evidence favorable to a defendant that could exonerate him of the crime.
The court papers claim certain people had access to Josh’s used car lot Wholesale Motorcars’ wireless internet.
Though law enforcement searched the witnesses’ devices, they allegedly “failed to preserve any evidence obtained during these searches.”
The first witness interviewed on December 16, 2019 is described as a “person of interest.”
The court papers read: “Witness #1 admitted to investigators he worked at the Car Lot at various times and that, on several occasions, he even stayed at the Car Lot overnight without Duggar’s knowledge or permission.
“Witness #1 admitted to viewing adult pornography through websites he accessed through the internet on his cellular phone and, when asked by these federal agents, denied viewing child pornography.”
The witness’ cell phone was searched and no child pornography was found.
Authorities “preserved no evidence whatsoever from the search of Witness #1’s phone including its contents and metadata,” according to court papers.
The court docs then mention two more witnesses whose devices were examined.
Seeing the evidence is crucial for the defense, as they said of one example “the devices may have contained content as to whether these devices had any relevant internet search history, any evidence associated with the so-called ‘dark web’ and/or the Bit Torrent network, any metadata that might pinpoint the whereabouts of the devices at various dates and times, and the list goes on.”
The evidence could have “been searched by people with ‘expert skill’ in ‘a properly controlled environment,’” just as Josh’s devices were.
They are asking to dismiss the case and at minimum “have an evidentiary hearing to determine what can be determined based on the searches performed and to explore the possibility of alternative remedies.”
AWAITING TRIAL
The former star is currently on home confinement until his trial and is living with third party custodians LaCount and Maria Reber, who are longtime friends of Jim Bob and Michelle.
Josh is residing in a massive mansion in Elkins, Arkansas with the Reber family.
The Arkansas judge on the case ordered Josh to wear a GPS ankle monitor.
Josh’s wife Anna, who is pregnant with their seventh child and due in the fall, is standing by her husband and has visited him with their children.
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Josh has unlimited access to his children with Anna present.
The family’s reality show , which Josh has not appeared on, was canceled in light of the scandal.
