Josh Duggar REFUSES to accept 12-year prison sentence on child pornography charges & files an official appeal in court

JOSH Duggar has filed an appeal weeks after being sentenced to 12 years in prison on child pornography charges.

The disgraced reality star will have to serve 20 more years of probation after he’s released.

The 34-year-old’s defense team filed a Notice of Appeal in the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court just before the 14-day deadline for filing an appeal, according to .

The filing reads that Josh “hereby appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from this Court’s Judgment in a Criminal Case.”

It concludes that the ex TLC star “respectfully provides notice of his intent to evaluate and pursue any and all meritorious arguments in his appeal.”

The filing was signed by the Counting On alum’s defense attorneys Travis W. Story, Ian T. Murphy, and Justin Gelfand.

Josh- who begged for just 60 months in prison- learned his fate on May 25th as Arkansas Judge Timothy L. Brooks sentenced the dad of seven to 151 months behind bars.

As he read his decision, the judge called Josh’s crimes “the sickest of the sick” to the packed courtroom.

He then said to ex TV personality: “You have done some very bad things. But in your life as a whole, you’ve done good things…The true test of a man’s character is what a man does when no one is watching.”

Referring to Josh’s insistence that he’s innocent, the judge continued: “I find it aggravating about the lack of responsibility.”

According to The Sun’s court reporter, Josh appeared stoic as he received his sentence, which also includes $50,000 in fines.

Josh’s wife, Anna, and his father, Jim Bob, remained emotionless while the sentenced was handed down.

Beside his time behind bars and his probation upon released, Josh will also be barred from having unsupervised visits with his kids.

He will also not be allowed to have a computer, or view pornography of any kind.

Josh and Anna share seven children, welcoming their youngest, a baby girl named Madyson Lily, back in October 2021.

DUGGAR DRAMA

Josh was previously found guilty of possessing and receiving child pornography on December 9 after a nearly two-week trial.

He has been locked up in Washington County Jail since the verdict, and will soon be transferred to federal prison, where he is expected to undergo a sex offender treatment program.

While many of Josh’s family members have remained silent following the sentencing, his cousin Amy has done the opposite.

AMY SOUNDS OFF

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Amy, 35, revealed how she has attempted to reach out to her cousin-in-law, though her efforts have been unsuccessful.

She said of the last time they spoke: “It’s been months. It’s been a long time. It’s been last November? When all of this was starting. She was happy. You know how that happy look is. She acted like nothing was wrong.”

The mom of one recently shared a photo of the two hugging during her wedding to her husband Dillon King, however, 33-year-old Anna has yet to respond.

Amy added: “… How do you stay silent when something is so heartbreaking?

“Anna is being silenced or choosing to be silent or she’s choosing not to believe the real hard true facts of what’s happening.”

Josh’s sister Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, also spoke out, writing on their : “… The last several weeks and months have been difficult emotionally.

“Yesterday was another one of those hard days. We are neither rejoicing nor disappointed by the sentence, but we are thankful it’s finally over…”