Ex-reality TV actor Josh Duggar was found guilty and taken into custody Thursday afternoon after being convicted of possessing child pornography.
Duggar, 33, was found guilty on one count of both receiving and possessing child pornography by a federal jury in Fayetteville, Arkansas, AP reported. The 33-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison as well as fines up to $250,000 for each count when sentenced. (RELATED: REPORT: Josh Duggar’s Wife Thinks He’s Innocent In Child Pornography Case)
Duggar pleaded not guilty to the charges in mid-April after federal prosecutors stated the former actor downloaded a Linux partition on his computer in an attempt to avoid software that detects internet activity, NBC News reported.
BREAKING: Former reality TV star Josh Duggar convicted of downloading and possessing child pornography. Duggar, starred on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” faces up to 20 years in prison on each of two charges. https://t.co/pT72XZLJPD
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 9, 2021
Duggar’s breakthrough television appearance happened on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” until the program was canceled in 2015 after his younger sister, Jessa Duggar, said he had molested her and four of his sister and a babysitter, according to AP. Duggar issued a statement for his past behavior and resigned for conservative lobbying firm Family Research Council.
His mother’s blog said that Duggar had checked himself into a rehabilitation center shortly after the revelations were made public, NBC News reported.
Federal officials began investigating the actor after child porn files were linked to Duggar’s apparent computer by a Little Rock police detective. A federal agent testified the images that contained graphic content of child sex abuse, some of which included toddlers, were downloaded onto a computer at a car dealership Duggar owned, according to AP.
Jim Bob Duggar, who was also a prominent feature on the TLC show, is currently one of four Republicans running for a vacant state Senate seat in a Northwestern Arkansas special election, AP reported.