Josh Duggar’s Appeal Rejected By Supreme Court
Ex-reality TV star Josh Duggar will remain behind bars after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal of his conviction for possessing child sexual abuse material.
Josh Duggar will remain in prison after appeal rejected
Duggar appeared with his parents, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and his many siblings on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting from 2008 to 2015.
In May 2021, Duggar was arrested following a 2019 investigation where authorities found material depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, on a computer at the Arkansas car dealership he owned. He was found guilty in December 2021. In May 2022, he was sentenced to 12½ years in prison.
“This verdict … demonstrates that no person is above the law,” Clay Fowlkes, U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes for Western Arkansas, said after Duggar’s conviction. “Regardless of wealth, social status, or fame, our office will continue to seek out all individuals who seek to abuse children and victimize them through the downloading, possession, and sharing of child pornography.”
Duggar is currently serving his sentence at a federal prison in Texas. In his appeal, his attorneys argued that during his trial they should have been allowed to ask one of Duggar’s former employees about his previous sex offense conviction, the AP reported.
The Supreme Court rejected Duggar’s appeal without comment. Lower courts had previously upheld his conviction.
Josh Duggar will be released from prison in 2032
With his latest appeal shot down, Duggar, 36, will continue to serve out the rest of his prison sentence. He is currently incarcerated at FCI Seagoville in Texas and is scheduled for release in October 2032.
After he completes his prison sentence, Duggar will be subject to an additional 20 years of supervised release. He will not be permitted unsupervised contact with any children. That includes the seven children he shares with his wife, Anna Duggar.
Duggar’s family has had a mixed response to his conviction. His parents and wife, Anna Duggar, have stood by him. But several of his siblings, including Jinger Duggar and Jill Duggar, have said the jury made the right call when finding their brother guilty. (Jill has come forward as one of several siblings Duggar molested when he was a teen.)
Recently, Duggar’s cousin Amy Duggar King expressed doubt that he could ever be rehabilitated.
“I don’t really know what I want [him to get] out of prison,” she told People in April 2024. “I want him to stay as long as he can because he can’t hurt children. He can’t view that disgustingness and his kids hopefully are safe as well.”
”He deserves every second in there, and I hope he gets a longer term,” she added. “I hope he messes up again.”
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
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