Josh Duggar, former star of reality TV series 19 Kids and Counting, has been arrested and jailed on federal child porn charges in Arkansas. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in a federal prison.
Duggar, 33, turned himself in at a sheriff’s office in Springdale, AR on Thursday, May 29. At a virtual federal court hearing the next day, he pleaded not guilty to knowingly receiving and possessing images of a minor under 12.
At the hearing, he was ordered to live with a third party without children present if he is granted bond.
Duggar also accused of molestation as a teen
Duggar is the oldest son of a devout Baptist family whose strict lives were followed on TLC starting in 2008. TLC canceled the show, first named 17 Kids and Counting, in 2015 after his father confirmed allegations that he’d molested 5 girls, 4 of them being his sisters, in 2005 and 2006.
Though aware of his actions, the family had kept them secret until a leak revealed them in 2006. His father then told police that his son had molested the young girls multiple times when he was 14 and 15 years old.
As a teen, Duggar was not charged. Instead, he spent months in a Little Rock rehab facility to be treated for a sex addiction, and the events were kept under wraps until their revelation in 2015 led to the cancellation of the Duggar’s TV series.
According to The Daily Mail, the current indictment against Duggar alleges that he downloaded sexual abuse material of children under 12 in May of 2019. In November of that year, Homeland Security officers raided his car dealership in Springdale, but he was not charged at that time.
Duggar family shows concern
Duggar’s parents released a statement after his recent arrest, saying the accusations against him “are very serious.” Sister Jinger Vuolo also expressed concern, saying she was “disturbed” to hear about the charge.
“We want to make it clear that we absolutely condemn any form of child abuse and fully support the authorities and judicial process in their pursuit of justice,” she said.
Duggar’s wife, Anna, has not issued a statement but recently revealed that they are expecting their 7th child.
Duggar also faces a civil lawsuit over alleged real estate fraud.
Federal child porn penalties are tough
As you can see, penalties for child porn are tough on the federal level, as they are on the state level in Texas. Keep in mind that you can be charged with the same child porn crime on both the state level and the federal level, and face punishments for each.
In Texas, possession of child porn is a third-degree felony with prison sentences from 2 to 10 years and fines of up to $10,000. Distributing child porn is a second-degree felony with prison sentences of 2 to 20 years and fines of as much as $10,000.
Child porn punishments in Texas are even more severe if the child involved is 13 or younger. In such aggravated cases, a child porn charge in Texas becomes a first-degree felony, for which a convicted person could be sentenced to 5 to 99 years in prison and be required to register as a sex offender for life.
Get a Houston child porn defense attorney
Not all allegations of receiving, possessing, producing or distributing child porn are true. If someone in your family faces such an accusation, you should consult with an experienced Houston child porn defense attorney about your legal rights.
At the Neal Davis Law Firm, your child pornography defense lawyer will advise you of these rights during a private and confidential consultation. Contact us today at the phone number or email address given on this page and get the skilled and knowledgeable defense lawyer you need for your case.
