One of Katie Thurston’s former contestants on The Bachelorette has been charged with possessing child pornography.
Joshua Tylerbest, who appeared in Season 17 of The Bachelorette in 2021, was arrested last month after authorities entered his home in Miami.
The 27-year-old was booked after a Google account linked to him was allegedly found to have uploaded 50 photos and videos showing the sexual abuse of children, according to the official court documents.
Cops were granted a search warrant to enter Joshua’s home, where they claimed to have found evidence of him interacting with child pornography on electronic devices.
Law enforcement alleged 15 clips included children, some under 10, engaging in sexual acts with adults.
Joshua was charged with 15 felony counts of possession of materials showing a sexual performance by a child, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Joshua Tylerbest bailed out after possession of child pornography charges
The former Bachelorette contestant was released on a $5,000 bond and has a hearing set for June 7, 2023.
While on The Bachelorette, Joshua made it to the fourth week, ultimately being eliminated by Katie in Week 5.
Since his time on the hit ABC series, he has kept relatively quiet, with no further appearances in the franchise.
According to his LinkedIn, Joshua is currently a senior associate at a financial firm where he has worked since January 2022.
As of the time of writing, Joshua has yet to comment on his arrest publicly.
Katie Thurston gives an update on her dating life since The Bachelorette
While Katie didn’t see Joshua as her one and only, she found love on her season and accepted a proposal from contestant Blake Moynes. After the two broke up months later, she went on to date another one of her contestants, John Hersey.
After less than a year of dating, Katie and John announced their split in June 2022.
Last week, Katie gave a minor update on how things have been going for her relationship-wise, opting to keep her current status quite “hush-hush.”
When a curious fan asked if she was dating anyone, Katie simply replied, “Shhh…,” clearly leaving her answer open for interpretation.
However, the former leading lady has been busy since handing over the Bachelorette reins. She has been focusing on her comedy career, where she has recently performed standup shows throughout the U.S.
Katie even admitted that she “almost lost herself” while appearing on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and comedy has been something that has helped her get “back on track.”
The Bachelorette premieres on Monday, June 26 at 9/8c on ABC.