Josh Duggar Found Guilty Of Child Pornography, Sentenced To Over 12 Years In Prison

Josh Duggar was found guilty of child pornography and sentenced to over 12 years of imprisonment.

The "19 Kids and Counting" alum got convicted of possessing and receiving child porn. The jury found him guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography following a six-day trial in December 2021. His lawyers maintained his innocence and sought a five-year sentence.

Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court sentenced Duggar to 151 months or 12-and-a-half years in prison. He was also fined $10,000, according to court documents obtained by E! News.

The former TLC star will also be placed on a 20-year supervised release, where he will be required to join a sex offender treatment program. Duggar will also be prohibited from unsupervised contact with minors. He is also not allowed to use a computer or any device without approval.

Just hours before the sentencing, with the agreement of both the defense and prosecution, Duggar's second conviction of possession of child porn without prejudice was dropped.

"We're grateful the judge dismissed Count 2 and rejected the Government's request for a 240-month sentence," Duggar's attorney Justin K. Gelfand told E! News in a statement. "We look forward to continuing the fight on appeal."

According to legal documents, Duggar requested a new trial a day before the sentencing. But it got denied.

Duggar was arrested in April 2021, just days after he and his wife, Anna Duggar, announced that they were expecting their seventh child. The couple shares Mackynzie, 12; Michael, 10; Marcus, 8; Meredith, 6; Mason, 4; and Maryella, 2; and Madyson, 7 months.

Anna and other family members penned letters to the judge overseeing the case. Duggar's wife sent multiple letters praising the disgraced reality star as a dad and husband.

"My children and I rely on Joshua for financial, emotional, and physical support. Many others depend on Joshua, too," Anna wrote in a letter dated March 7.

In a separate letter on May 17, she described Duggar as a "kind, loving, supportive, and caring father and husband." Anna also asked the judge to "consider reuniting us as a family again soon."

Anna's dad also sent a letter supporting Duggar, which did not sit well with her cousin-in-law Amy Duggar King. The latter believed Anna was being "surrounded by the wrong kind of support." Amy urged her to divorce Josh and think of the welfare of their children.

"If no one else in your life is saying it, I need you to understand that there is no shame in divorcing Josh," Amy wrote in an open letter on Instagram.

"I'm saying all of this publicly so that when they do grow up, they will also know that they had family members shouting from the rooftops that they were worth protecting all along. Your children look up to you so much… Please be the role model they need in their life," Amy added.