Former actuality TV star Josh Duggar returned to federal courtroom on Wednesday, the place a choose sentenced him to 12.5 years in jail for a kid pornography conviction.
Decide Timothy L. Brooks sentenced Duggar to a complete of 151 months behind bars.
Prosecutors had been looking for a most 20-year sentence for Duggar, whereas his legal professionals requested that he be despatched to jail for 5 years.
Based on Individuals journal, Duggar’s father, Jim Bob, and spouse, Anna, sat within the courtroom’s entrance row as his sentencing was handed down.
Based on the publication, when he wasn’t taking notes on Wednesday Duggar usually turned and smiled at his spouse.
Duggar, whose giant household was the main focus of TLC’s actuality present 19 Children and Counting, was convicted of downloading and possessing youngster pornography in December of final 12 months. (On Wednesday, one rely of his December conviction was dropped, and Duggar was sentenced on one cost of knowingly receiving youngster pornography.)
Learn extra:
Josh Duggar convicted of kid porn costs, faces as much as 20 years in jail
TLC cancelled 19 Children and Counting in 2015 following revelations that he had molested 4 of his sisters and a babysitter. Authorities started investigating the abuse in 2006 after receiving a tip from a household pal.
Nevertheless, they concluded that the statute of limitations on any attainable costs had expired.
FILE — On this Aug. 2, 2007 file picture, Michelle Duggar, left, poses along with her husband Jim Bob, second from left, and youngsters, together with their oldest son Josh, tallest standing, after the beginning of her seventeenth youngster in Rogers, Ark.
AP Picture/Beth Corridor, File
Duggar’s dad and mom stated he had confessed to the fondling and apologized. On the time, Duggar apologized publicly for unspecified behaviour and resigned as a lobbyist for the Household Analysis Council, a conservative Christian group.
Duggar later apologized for a pornography dependancy and for dishonest on his spouse, calling himself “the largest hypocrite ever.”
The choose within the youngster porn case dominated that jurors may hear testimony about how in 2003, Duggar admitted to molesting 4 women. A household pal testified that Duggar informed her concerning the abuse.
Learn extra:
Pastor admits ‘adultery’ in church with then-16-year-old member of congregation
Federal authorities stated they started investigating after a Little Rock police detective discovered youngster porn recordsdata had been being shared by a pc traced to Duggar. A federal agent testified final Might that photographs depicting the sexual abuse of youngsters, together with toddlers, had been downloaded in 2019 onto a pc at a automotive dealership Duggar owned.
Duggar’s lawyer argued that another person downloaded or uploaded the photographs onto Duggar’s pc. However the jury wasn’t swayed.
Duggar’s father Jim Bob, who additionally starred on the fact present, is operating in a particular election for a vacant state Senate seat in northwestern Arkansas, and the first election in that race is Tuesday. He beforehand served within the Arkansas Home.
Duggar maintains his innocence and has stated he’ll enchantment.
— With recordsdata from The Related Press
© 2022 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
