Josh Duggar, former star of “19 Kids and Counting,” was sentenced to 151 months in prison Wednesday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a series of child porn charges.
The disgraced reality TV star was found guilty of two charges of knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography in December 2021, according to People. During Wednesday’s court sentencing, Judge Timothy L. Brooks ruled that 34-year-old Duggar did not knowingly distribute the child pornography, and so lessened the initial request for a 20-year sentence down to 12.5 years, according to TMZ.
Josh Duggar sentenced to 12.5 years in jail, following child porn trial. https://t.co/WuwPhWyzAD
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 25, 2022
Duggar’s legal team plans to appeal the sentence, TMZ noted.
“We’re grateful the judge dismissed Count 2 and rejected the Government’s request for a 240-month sentence. We look forward to continuing the fight on appeal,” Duggar’s attorney Travis Story said, according to TMZ.
When Duggar is released from prison, he is expected to be put on 20-years of post-release supervision, according to information from federal law enforcement sources provided to TMZ. He has also been ordered to pay a fine of $50,100. (RELATED: Wife Allegedly Plants Child Porn On Husband’s Phone In Custody Revenge Plot)
Josh Duggar, a onetime star of the TLC reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” about a large family guided by conservative Christian values, was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on Wednesday for downloading child sexual abuse imagery. https://t.co/jjkHZt9830
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 25, 2022
Duggar has been under the microscope for the alleged fondling of young victims dating as far back as 2002, and by 2006, there were increased reports, which prompted police intervention, according to The Sun. By 2015, the allegations against him had gained widespread public attention. The Department of Homeland Security became involved in the case in 2019 and proceeded to raid Duggar’s home, but no charges were laid. He was arrested for possession of child porn in 2021, according to The Sun.