Josh Duggar Facing Child Porn Charges

Former '19 Kids and Counting' star pleads not guilty in Arkansas
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 30, 2021 12:55 PM CDT
Josh Duggar Facing Child Porn Charges
Josh Duggar.   (Washington County Jail via AP)

On Thursday, headlines were abuzz over the arrest of former 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar, just days after his wife had announced they're expecting their seventh child. Now, some clarity on what exactly he was arrested for: The 33-year-old pleaded not guilty via Zoom on Friday to an Arkansas federal judge on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, per KHBS and KNWA. Duggar, the oldest of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar's 19 biological children—they also have an adopted son, Tyler—is accused of going online to download the pornographic material in question, some of which contain images of sexual abuse against children younger than 12, per court documents.

A bond hearing is set for Wednesday. Judge Erin Wiedemann said Friday that if Duggar ends up being released on bond, he'd likely have to be under the supervision of a third-party custodian and not be allowed near minors. "We just heard about it yesterday. It is sad," his sister Jill Duggar tells USA Today in a statement. If convicted, Duggar could face up to 20 years behind bars and fines of up to $250,000 for each count. Us Weekly takes a look back at Duggar's legal troubles and other controversies over the years, including the police report in 2015 that first revealed he'd molested five girls, including several of his sisters, when he was a young teen. (More Josh Duggar stories.)

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