Josh Duggar sentencing live updates – 19 Kids and Counting star’s prison time revealed after child pornography case
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FORMER 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar was sentenced to over a decade in federal prison on May 25.
, 34, was found guilty of possessing and receiving child pornography on December 9 after a nearly two-week trial.
He was then sentenced to 151 months — almost 12-and-a-half years — for those crimes on May 25. When he is released, the former reality TV star will also be supervised by a parole office for 20 years.
His wife, Anna Duggar, 34, was at her husband's side during his child pornography trial and sentencing, and his father, Jim Bob Duggar, made an appearance at the sentencing hearing as well.
Some of Josh's siblings, including Counting On star Jill (Duggar) Dillard and Jason Duggar, spoke out against their brother after the sentence was handed down.
Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, wrote in a statement, "Though some believe Josh should have received a greater sentence and still fewer believe he should have received a lighter sentence, God has carried out his vengeance today for his unspeakable criminal activity."
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
Read our Josh Duggar sentencing trial live blog for the latest news and updates...
Assistant Attorney General on verdict
After the verdict was announced, the about Josh Duggar’s trial and conviction.
“Today’s verdict sends a message that we will track down and prosecute people who download and view child sexual abuse material, regardless of the lengths they go to conceal their conduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“I am grateful for the efforts of the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners who helped ensure the defendant would be held accountable for his crimes.”
“I hope today’s conviction serves as a reminder of the department’s steadfast commitment to bringing to justice those who callously contribute to the online sexual exploitation of young children.”
Who prosecuted the case?
Trial Attorney William G Clayman of CEOS and Assistant US Attorneys Dustin Roberts and Carly Marshall of the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas prosecuted the Josh Duggar case.
Which Duggars support Josh: Amy’s condemnation
And Josh Duggar’s cousin, Amy Duggar King, has been very outspoken against him in recent months.
Earlier this month, she demanded he get the maximum prison sentence of 20 years for his “sick” crimes.
She also urged Josh’s wife Anna to get a divorce and “stop protecting him and his secrets.”
“Someday your kids will be old enough to understand what kind of guy their father really is,” she said.
“You can’t protect them from the truth for forever!”
Which Duggars support Josh, continued
In fact, many of Josh’s own siblings don’t seem to support him after the guilty verdict was handed down in December.
After Josh was found guilty, his younger sister Jinger Duggar Vuolo slammed his behavior and called his crimes a “horrific evil.”
Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard both condemned the disgraced reality star after a jury found him guilty.
They wrote in a statement: “Nobody is above the law. It applies equally to everybody, no matter your wealth, status, associations, gender, race, or any other factor.”
Which Duggars support Josh?
Josh Duggar’s family has been divided in their support or lack thereof for the disgraced reality star.
His wife, Anna Duggar, and mother, Michelle Duggar, both wrote statements of support to Judge Timothy L Brooks ahead of the sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
Michelle said in her letter that Josh has “friends and family who love and support him in his abilities to succeed as a husband, father and business owner, and man both now and in the future!”
But not everyone in Josh’s family is on his side.
Michelle and Jim Bob: ‘We will never stop praying’
The statement continued: “In the days ahead, we will do all we can to surround our daughter-in-law Anna and their children with love and support.”
“As parents, we will never stop praying for Joshua, and loving him, as we do all of our children.”
“In each of life’s circumstances, we place our trust in God,” Jim Bob and Michelle’s statement added.
“He is our source of strength and refuge.”
The message concluded: “Thank you for your prayers.”
Michelle and Jim Bob on the verdict
Josh Duggar’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, released a statement addressing the guilty verdict after it was determined in December.
It read: “This entire ordeal has been very grievous. Today, God’s grace, through the love and prayers of so many, has sustained us.”
“Our hearts and prayers are with anyone who has ever been harmed through CSAM.”
Josh Duggar’s reaction when found guilty
Josh Duggar was “teary-eyed but not crying” when his guilty verdict was given on December 9, according to the Sun reporter at the trial, who also noted he was “solemn.”
Duggar was cuffed immediately and taken into custody.
When was Josh Duggar on trial?
The trial began on November 30, 2021.
On Thursday, December 9, 2021, Josh Duggar was found guilty on both counts of possessing and receiving child pornography.
Duggar’s pretrial hearing took place on November 18, 2021.
Why was Josh Duggar arrested?
On April 29, 2021, Josh Duggar was arrested on charges relating to child sexual abuse materials.
His charges included one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
In November of 2019, Homeland Security investigated Wholesale Motorcars, Duggar’s place of employment.
At the time, downloads allegedly made on a computer were flagged by the Little Rock Police Department and traced to Duggar’s IP address.
Behind the Duggars’ religious beliefs
The Duggars are devout independent Christian Baptists who take pride in living conservatively.
Their reality shows frequently touched on their values and their relationship with God.
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar famously avoid birth control, saying they decided to allow God to determine the number of children they have.
All of the Duggar children were or are currently homeschooled, and access to entertainment such as movies and television for the kids in the Duggar family has always been limited.
The Duggars also practice chaperoned courtship, in which a couple becomes acquainted only in a group setting.
Where are the Duggars from?
Joshua, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace and Josie Duggar, were all raised in the family home in Tontitown, Arkansas.
Who are Josh Duggar’s parents?
Josh Duggar’s parents are and .
Jim Bob is a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives.
The two have 19 children together, including Josh, who is their oldest child.
The family was featured on the reality series 19 Kids and Counting from 2008 to 2015.
Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth’s response
After Josh Duggar’s guilty verdict was determined, Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth, 24, and her husband Austin Forsyth shared a joint statement on social media.
They wrote on their Instagram Stories: “Over this last year, as you can imagine, there have been a lot of unanswered questions in our minds regarding Josh.”
“We were able to sit through the trial to hear the evidence for ourselves.”
Jessa Duggar speaks out
Jessa Duggar and her husband Ben Seewald joined the wealth of family statements after Josh’s guilty verdict back in December.
In an Instagram story, her husband Ben shared their thoughts.
“From the moment we learned of this case against Josh we have prayed that God would cause the truth to be made known, no matter what it was, and that the facts would be followed wherever they lead,” the statement reads.
“We are grieved beyond words over the children exploited and abused in child sexual abuse material, and we are thankful for our justice system in its punishment of such evils.”
“Our hearts break for Josh’s family and we ask your continued prayers for them in the unfathomable grief and pain they are enduring.”
Jill Duggar’s statement: ‘Nobody is above the law’
The statement continued: “Nobody is above the law. It applies equally to everybody, no matter your wealth, status, associations, gender, race, or any other factor.”
“Today, the people of the Western District of Arkansas made that clear in their verdict,” they wrote back in December.
“As a Christian, we believe we are all equal at the foot of the cross, and, likewise, we are all equal under the law.”
Jill Duggar’s statement after guilty verdict
Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard slammed Josh Duggar after the guilty verdict came down, writing that “nobody is above the law.”
The couple also admitted that Josh’s trial “felt like a funeral.”
Jill, 31, and Derick, 33, took to their to share a statement on the matter.
The statement began: “Today was difficult for our family.”
“Our hearts go out to the victims of child abuse or any kind of exploitation.”
“We are thankful for the hard work of law enforcement, including investigators, forensic analysts, prosecutors, and all others involved who save kids and hold accountable those responsible for their abuse.”
Did Josh’s siblings speak out against him?
Several of Josh Duggar’s family members spoke out against him after the guilty verdict was reached in December in his child sexual abuse material court case.
Jessa Duggar Seewald, Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth, and Jill Duggar Dillard were among those who shared public statements about the ruling.
How many kids do Josh and Anna have?
Anna and Josh Duggar have seven children together — four daughters and three sons.
On October 23, 2021, Anna Duggar gave birth to a baby girl.
Their eldest is Mackynzie Renée, who was followed by their first son Michael James.
The final five children, who all have names beginning with M, are Marcus Anthony, Meredith Grace, Mason Garrett, Maryella Hope, and Madyson Lily.
Who is Anna Duggar?
Anna Renee Keller appeared on 19 Kids And Counting, which ran for seven years from 2008 to 2015 before it was canceled.
The show was one of TLC’s most popular series, averaging 2.3million viewers per new episode in season 10.
Anna is 33 years old and is Josh Duggar’s wife.
‘Don’t let them pretend no-one’s getting hurt’
“‘My daughter is a real person,'” the parent of one of the victims depicted in the CSAM downloaded was quoted as saying in court documents.
“‘She was horribly victimized to provide this source of ‘entertainment.’ She is exploited anew each and every time an image of her suffering is copied, traded or sold.'”
‘”While the crime is clearly conscienceless, it is hardly ‘victim-less.’”
The mother asked her daughter what she wanted most from the judge.
Her request was, according to the court papers: “‘Please, don’t let them pretend no-one’s getting hurt!’”
Parent of CSAM victim speaks out
Prosecutors noted in court documents that they believe it is “important” for them to “highlight the pain” Josh Duggar’s “predation caused in the words of his victims.”
The court papers read: “As the parent of one of the victims depicted in the CSAM [child sexual abuse material] the defendant downloaded explained, her daughter became an ‘anxious and fretful shadow of her former self’ after being sexually abused.”
“And when addressing the harm caused by offenders like Duggar, who traffic in images depicting the worst moments of her daughter’s life, she wrote: ‘I can find no words to express the fury I feel at those who participate in this evil, or my scorn for any attempt to minimize the responsibility by feeble claims that the crime was ‘victimless.’”
Legal team: Josh’s family ‘paralyzed with fear’
Josh Duggar’s legal team continued in the court documents: “While the reality that Duggar is going to be sentenced to federal prison is undoubtedly frightening for Duggar himself, it has paralyzed his family with fear.”
“Stated simply, any punishment imposed on Duggar is also a punishment imposed on his family.”
Legal team begs for leniency, continued
The document continued: “Prior to this case, Duggar had never been charged with, let alone convicted of, a single criminal offense throughout his entire life.”
“In stark contrast, he worked exceptionally hard, has always been fully devoted to his family, and exemplified selfless acts outside of the public spotlight that speak to his true character.”
“However, what speaks to Duggar’s true character is that his family remains firmly by his side and they yearn for the day when he can return home to them,” court papers noted.
“His seven children and loving wife are struggling to make do without him but eagerly await the day when he will return to care for them, to love them, and to provide for them.”
Legal team begs for leniency
Josh Duggar’s legal team also begged the judge to be lenient with sentencing ahead of the sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
The court papers read: “The 34-year-old father of seven who stands before this Court for sentencing has lived an admirable life while navigating unique challenges associated with being in the public spotlight since childhood.”
“Duggar pleaded not guilty and proceeded to trial. He now stands convicted of a serious offense and, as such, this Court must pronounce a sentence.”
“However, in determining the appropriate sentence in this case, Duggar asks this Court to recognize him for the person he is and the person he can become,” the documents noted.