Josh Duggar has been charged with possessing child pornography — some of which is said to feature children under the age of 12 — after being arrested yesterday by federal agents in Arkansas.
During a court hearing today, his attorneys declined to have the charges read out loud. However, they were revealed later when the indictment was released.
Josh pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and will appear back in court for a bond hearing on May 5, 2021. If bail is granted, one of the requirements will be that he cannot live in a home with minors — meaning he won’t be able to live with his family.
A press release from the State’s Attorney office reveals that Josh Duggar was arrested on charges of “receiving and possessing child pornography”.
The charges allege that he used the internet to download “child sexual abuse material”. Some of it is said to feature children under the age of 12 being abused.
He is claimed to have been in possession of the material in May 2019. If convicted, the former reality television star faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count.
Former reality TV star no stranger to scandal
News of Josh Duggar’s arrest spread like wildfire yesterday, after he was booked into the Washington County Detention Center just after 1pm local time.
Jim Bob Duggar reportedly knew the arrest was coming ahead of time, and is alleged to have warned the family and given them instructions about not talking to the press.
Josh Duggar’s mugshot got plenty of attention too, with the booking photo appearing to show him smirking.
While he is no stranger to scandal, his arrest still came as a shock to fans of 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On.
It has been just under six years since his life was turned upside down following the revelation he molested several of his sisters. He was later also revealed to have been a member of the Ashley Madison extra-marital affair website.
His wife Anna Duggar is currently pregnant
Just like last time Josh Duggar made headlines, his wife Anna Duggar is pregnant — this time with the couple currently expecting their seventh child.
According to the terms of his indictment, Josh Duggar will not be allowed to live with his family if he is released on bail as both his own home, and his parents’ home, currently have minors living there.
Counting On is currently on hiatus