Josh Duggar, the reality television star and oldest child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, was arrested on Thursday by federal agents in Arkansas.
He’s been charged with receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children which was confirmed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.
The hearing was held over Zoom and Josh Duggar pleaded not guilty.
This comes days after Josh and his wife Anna announced that they are expecting their seventh child.
Full Story: Anna Duggar Fires Back At Hater Who Said She And Josh Duggar Can’t ‘Afford’ Seven Kids
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Josh Duggar Arrested
TMZ reported that Josh, 33, is being held without bail in Washington County. A mugshot that was released to the public shows Josh with a smirk on his face looking disheveled.
Why does Josh Duggar’s mugshot look like the baby from Toy Story 3?? pic.twitter.com/t14IrwzwqP
— Vee Sparkles (@ohveemarie) April 29, 2021
A source told The Sun that Josh’s arrest was in connection to a 2019 Homeland Security raid on his now-shuttered used car dealership in Springdale, Arkansas.
“The family has known that this has been coming for weeks, and Josh has been preparing himself,” the source said. “Family members are extremely concerned by what is happening and they just want to find out the truth.”
A release from the US Attorney’s office states that Duggar is accused of allegedly using “the internet to download child sexual abuse material. Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019.”
If he’s convicted, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 on each count.
Related: Jill Duggar Of ‘Counting On’ Fame Discusses Her Sex Life With Her Husband Derick Dillard
Josh’s Behavior ‘Definitely Not Christianlike’
Kesha (Chiappinelli) Zaffino is a lawyer who represented a client taking on Josh in a real estate lawsuit that the reality TV star lost two years ago.
Hours before his arrest, Zaffino told Fox News that “nothing surprises” her when it comes to Josh.
“In person, he actually seems like a normal person, but as I saw this case progress, the tactics they used were very, very unethical and definitely not Christianlike,” she said.
Zaffino is also not surprised at all that Josh has found himself in hot water with the law once again after years of scandals.
“It’s so ironic that the family promotes themselves as Christians, but this is the most unchristian thing you can possibly do,” she said.
Josh’s Molestation Scandal
Josh is certainly no stranger to both controversy and un-Christianlike behavior.
In 2015, he was accused of molesting female members of his family. And, he admitted to the world that he had cheated on his wife Anna. He issued a public apology at the time and was never actually charged with anything.
“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” Josh told People Magazine at the time.
“I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation,” he continued. “We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling.”
Afterwards, Josh went to rehab and went to counseling with Anna, who decided to stick with him despite everything that happened.
If he’s convicted, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 on each count.
His attorney requested that he be released on bond and that hearing is scheduled for next week. However, if released, he’ll need to be with a third-party custodian and will not be allowed in the presence of minors.
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