Josh Duggar, from television reality show 19 Kids and Counting, faces child sex abuse material charges
Joshua James Duggar — the 33-year-old former star of the popular reality TV show 19 Kids and Counting — has appeared in court to face criminal charges that he received and possessed materials that depicted the sexual abuse of children.
Key points:
- It is alleged he obtained the sexually explicit material sometime between May 14 and May 16 of 2019
- Duggar's lawyers say they intend to "defend this case aggressively and thoroughly"
- Duggar used to work for a Christian fundamentalist group founded by evangelical Christian author James Dobson
A spokesman for the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas said Duggar pleaded not guilty to the charges during his first appearance.
It is alleged he obtained the sexually explicit material sometime between May 14 and May 16 of 2019.
Duggar was arrested on Thursday and the government is seeking his detention. His next court hearing is scheduled for May 5.
In a statement, Duggar's lawyers said they intend to "defend this case aggressively and thoroughly."
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Duggar rose to fame in the reality series about his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and their 19 children.
The show delved into their religious values and beliefs, including their opposition to birth control, their preference to home-school their children, and their strict rules about dating, which entailed chaperoning their daughters through a courtship and banning them from kissing until marriage.
Duggar confesses molestation, faces no charges
However, the show was suspended in 2015 after news broke that Josh Duggar molested five girls, four of whom were his own sisters.
At the time, Duggar worked at the Family Research Council, a Christian fundamentalist group founded by evangelical Christian author James Dobson.
He resigned from his post at the time and issued a statement admitting to his actions.
"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends," Duggar told People Magazine.
"I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation.
"We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling."
Duggar never faced criminal charges for those actions.
In 2015, Duggar was also forced to publicly admit he had cheated on his wife, after hackers leaked the names of all of the subscribers to Ashley Madison, a website that encouraged its users to have extramarital affairs.
Reuters