Inside Josh Duggar's Guilty Verdict
And the verdict is in for Josh Duggar. The eldest son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of "19 Kids and Counting" fame got arrested in April on two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography. The arrest came just days after he and Anna announced they were expecting their seventh child, according to Insider. After his arrest, Josh pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail.
The trial for Josh's case began in Arkansas on November 30 after a five-month delay. During the trial, Josh was joined by many familiar faces in court. His wife Anna attended seemingly in support of him, and brothers-in-law Derick Dillard and Austin Forsyth were also present. As for siblings, Joy-Anna, Jessa, Jana, Jed, and Justin Duggar all made appearances, while Jill Duggar only attended on the final day. Of course, Jim Bob Duggar also showed his face, attending when the defense presented its evidence, according to People. Although the Duggar family didn't outwardly support either the defense or prosecution, Amy Duggar, Josh's maternal cousin, made her feelings about him known and hoped for his conviction.
The jury reached a verdict on December 9 and announced a guilty verdict on all counts. So what's next?
Josh Duggar is found guilty
On December 9, the jury in the Josh Duggar federal trial returned a guilty verdict on receiving and possessing child pornography charges. He faces up to 40 years in prison, but a decision on sentencing could take months, The Sun reported the judge saying. In the meantime, he will remain in custody. "Mr. Duggar 100 percent has been compliant awaiting trial," the judge reportedly stated. "I appreciate that and I wanted to acknowledge that. However, because of the guilty offenses, he must be detained regardless of flight risk so there will be a mandatory detention."
Given his conviction, it is likely that Josh will be housed in a prison that offers treatment programs for sex offenders, per Distractify. However, the outlet noted that, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, there aren't any prisons in Arkansas that offer such programs. So it is possible he could be incarcerated out of state. But Josh's defense team hopes it will never come to that, as they told reporters they plan to appeal the conviction, as The Sun noted. As for the prosecution, they referred to the verdict as a "milestone" in combatting child sex abuse.
As of this writing, the Duggar family hasn't released a statement on the verdict.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).