A federal jury in Arkansas on Thursday convicted Josh Duggar of downloading and possessing child pornography.
Duggar, 33, who was found guilty on one count each of possessing and receiving child pornography, faces up to 20 years behind bars and over $200,000 in fines for each count. Sentencing will take place at a later date.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Duggar’s computer contained 65 child porn images and a two-minute video showing a man engaging in sex acts with two young girls between 5 and 10 years of age. The computer also had dozens of other images in “unallocated space,” meaning someone had tried to delete them.
Assistant US Attorney Dustin Roberts handled the opening for the prosecution during Duggar’s trial. He described for the jury the types of imagery — and their graphic titles — found by a detective monitoring the “trafficking and trading” of sexual images of minors. It was tracked back to a peer-to-peer streaming network used by Duggar.
Roberts also detailed how Duggar’s desktop computer used a Linux partition drive in addition to the usual Windows drive to evade the “Covenant Eyes” application he had voluntarily placed on his computer to restrict his viewing of certain material and report him to another person if he does. “Covenant Eyes,” he said, doesn’t work on a Linux operating system
Special Agent Gerald Faulkner previously said the images included naked minors and sex acts with minors, with one file, in particular, showing sex abuse involving children as young as 18 months old.
In 2015, Duggar entered a rehabilitation center after he confessed to inappropriately touching his younger sisters when he was a teenager. He was also accused of creating a private, paid Ashley Madison account, a social site made for people wanting to cheat on their significant other.
“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret,” Duggar wrote in 2015.
“I hurt others, including my family and close friends. 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.”
He reportedly met up with at least one person he chatted with via his Ashley Madison account and paid her for sex. He later admitted to his infidelity and confessed he had a porn addiction problem.
The allegations resulted in TV network TLC dropping Duggar’s family show. He also lost his position as executive director of the Family Research Council, a lobbying group that “champions marriage and family.”
Duggar’s lawyer unsuccessfully argued that someone else put the images onto Duggar’s computer.
Check back for updates.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Josh Duggar/Police Handout]
