Josh Duggar has been sentenced to 151 months, almost 12.5 years, after being found guilty in December 2021 on the charge of "receipt of child pornography".
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The decision came from Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court who has also recommend sex offender treatment for Josh. Judge Brooks reportedly told the court that Josh's case was among the most serious of cases he had ever seen. Referencing one picture he saw during evidence, he called it "the sickest of the sickest."
Josh was found guilty in December 2021
Josh will also have to pay $50,100 in fines and has been given 14 days to appeal. After his sentence is finished, he faces 20 years of probation, no unsupervised visitation with children and no computer.
Josh's legal team had requested a maximum of five years in prison while the prosecution asked for the maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.
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Josh reportedly made no visible reaction when the sentencing was handed down. It was also reported that the judge wants Josh to go to the prison in Seagoville, Texas "because it has a good sex offender program,' according to The Sun, "but that determination depends on bed space."
Josh's wife Anna Duggar, the mother of his seven children, was in court along with his father Jim Bob Duggar. Siblings Joy-Anna, Justin and James were all also in court and sitting on the prosecution's side according to The Sun.
Josh is a father of seven
Ahead of the hearing, court papers gave details of what the parent of a victim of child sexual abuse material had shared. "Her daughter became an 'anxious and fretful shadow of her former self' after being sexually abused," the papers read.
"'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,'", the document continued.
The sentencing comes after Anna and Josh's mom Michelle Duggar wrote letters in defense of the 34-year-old. Michelle allegedly wrote that Joshua "is compassionate toward others," and has a "tender heart".
She also said that the father of seven "has set a good example of applying himself eagerly to his work and in many other responsibilities that he carries as a husband and father".
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have 19 children
After a 2019 raid on his Arkansas car dealership, the father-of-seven willingly turned himself in on 29 April 2021. It was later confirmed through court documents that Josh had been arrested for “knowingly received child pornography" and "knowingly possessed material that contained images of child pornography,” including “images of minors under the age of 12" in May 2019.
He pled not guilty.
The seven-day trial in late 2021 saw his wife Anna in attendance every day. Derrick Dillard, the husband of Jill who has been estranged from her family, was in court every day as was Austin Forsyth, the husband of Joy-Anna.
Jill and Joy-Anna both previously revealed that in 2005 they were victims of molestation by Josh, as were sisters Jessa and Jinger. Joy-Anna and Jessa were both in court for several days, as were brother Jason and Justin, sister Jana, and patriarch Jim Bob who missed the first few days.
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).
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