Everything You Need To Know Ahead Of Josh Duggar's Child Pornography Trial
Josh Duggar's child pornography trial is fast approaching — and his case is anything but simple.
From his initial arrest to past scandals, OK! has covered all the details ahead of the 33-year-old's appearance in court.
Scroll through the images below to find out all the information you need to know before the trial begins on November 30.
The Arrest
On April 29, 2021, the former reality star was arrested by federal agents in Arkansas.
He was later charged with two counts of recieving and possessing child pornography, which was allegedly found on his computer at his workplace.
Josh pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his trial was originally scheduled to begin in July.
No More 'Counting On'
After news broke about the former 19 Kids and Counting star's arrest, TLC decided to pull the plug on the series' spinoff show Counting On.
"TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately," the network said in a statement at the time.
Josh's parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar acknowldged the show's cancellation, claiming to be excited about "what's next" for their family.
His Family Reacts
After the scandal began making headlines across the nation, members of the Duggar family addressed the charges made against Josh.
Derick Dillard — Josh's brother-in-law, who is married to Jill Duggar — told Radar at the time that the family was "surprised" when Josh was arrested.
Josh's 24-year-old sister Joy-Anna and her husband Austin Forsyth also acknowledged the scandal, admitting that the news "saddened us to our core."
His sister Jinger, 27, and her husband Jeremy Vuolo also addressed the drama, saying that they "whole-heartedly" agreed with TLC's decision to cancel the reality show featuring the embattled star.
Meanwhile, Josh's wife Anna Duggar 'thinks Josh is innocent," an insider previously revealed. "[Josh] has seen [his] children with Anna there. She has to be there."
He Is Released On Bond
A week after his arrest, the disgraced TV star was released from jail on bond.
At his May 5 hearing, Judge Christy Comstock determined that she could not "in good conscience" send him back to his family home where his six children — Mackynzie, 12, Michael, 10, Marcus, 8, Meredith, 6, Mason, 4 and Maryella, 1 — lived. (His wife has since given birth to their newest baby, Madyson, which they announced earlier this month.)
Upon his release, Josh's family arranged for him to live with family friends. He is not permitted to be around any minor children except his own, who he can only see with the supervision of his wife.
The Trial Gets Delayed
In June, the court date was pushed back from July 6 until late November after the defense asked for "more time to review the evidence."
In claiming that the government failed to interview "certain key witnesses" that could prove Josh's innocence, the defense requested more time in order to launch their own investigation.
While Josh's legal team intially attempted to get the trial postponed until February 2022, the judge settled on November 2021.
The Court Denies His Motion To Dismiss The Case
On September 27, Josh appeared in court in an attempt to get his entire case thrown out.
- Jill & Jedidiah Duggar Expected To Appear In Court To Testify In Brother Josh Duggar’s Child Pornography Trial
- Josh Duggar Found Guilty On Both Charges Of Possessing & Receiving Child Pornography As Bombshell Trial Ends
- Jim Bob Duggar Confesses He 'Tried To Handle Things' After Son Josh Admitted To 'Inappropriate Touching' Of A Minor Ahead Of Child Pornography Trial
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The former TLC star filed the motion to dismiss the case by arguing that the government allegedly failed to "preserve potentially exculpatory evidence" — or proof that could prove his innocence.
His request was ultimately denied by the Arkansas judge, along with a handful of other motions filed by his legal team.
A Major Court Victory
On November 18, the embattled reality star scored a major court win after the judge granted his request to get certain information banned from the trial.
The Arkansas judge ruled that a 2015 statement Josh made — in which he admitted to being addicted to porn — is unable to be used against him in court on the grounds that it is "irrelevant" to the current charges against him.
Josh also lucked out after the judge agreed to have another statement, made by Special Agent Gerald Faulker, banned from the upcoming trial as well.
The special agent previously called the child pornography videos allegedly found in Josh's posession "in the top five of the worst-worst that I've ever had to examine." However, the court ruled that this statement was a matter of "opinion testimony" and could "mislead the jury," per The Sun.
Josh's reasonable doubt argument, insisting that one of his workers could have been responsible for the illegal material found on his computer was also upheld by the court, despite the prosecution's attempt to get it banned.
His Past Molestation Scandal Hangs In The Balance
It still remains unclear whether or not Josh's previous molestation scandal will be usable in court.
In 2015, TLC fans were shocked after an unearthed police report from 2006 revealed that Josh had allegedly molested five minor girls, including four of his own sisters.
While he was never charged for the alleged scandal, his two sisters Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald discussed their experience during a bombshell interview with Megyn Kelly.
The two girls, who were both underaged at the time, recalled their oldest brother allegedly sexual abusing them while they were sleeping.
As OK! previously reported, the prosecution wanted the 2006 incident to be included in the upcoming trial, arguing that it shows "The Defendant did commit a crime as defined by Arksansas state law involving contact between any part of the defendant's body and a child's genitals or anus — namely, sexual assault in the second degree."
They plan to use the evidence that "Duggar was investigated for, admitted to, and recieved counseling for touching and sexually molesting multiple minor females, including at least one instance involving the digital penetration of a prepubsecent minor."
While prosecutors have argued that the past incidents prove "motive" and "lack of mistake" in the current case, the judge has yet to rule on whether or not the evidence will be allowed.
His Wife Is Standing Beside Him
Despite the controversy circling around her husband, Anna is not turning her back on Josh.
A source previously revealed to The Sun that the mom-of-seven is "extremely confident" that Josh won't be jailed.
"Anna is convinced Josh will be a free man soon and be able to raise their kids," the source dished at the time. "She should be worried she's going to be alone with seven children, but she isn't."
On Thursday, November 18, Anna was seen walking hand-in-hand with her husband as they entered the courtroom for the pre-trial hearing.
Jim Bob Duggar's Statements In Court
The famous family patriarch was subpeonaed by the prosecution to speak during an evidentiary hearing on Monday, November 29, where he was asked about his son's alleged molestation scandal.
Jim Bob reportedly claimed he "can't remember" the details of the 2006 police report detailing Josh's alleged sexual misconduct, insisting the report was "tabloid information," per People.
The 56-year-old did confess that Josh approached him and his wife Michelle back in 2002 about the "inappropriate touching" of a minor.
"He had told me that he had touched some of the girls when they were sleeping on their breasts...they didn't wake up," he recalled on Monday. He remembered feeling "shocked this had happened but we were thankful he came on his own and told us."
Jim Bob reportedly claimed in court that he was "not going to allow" the 2006 report to be used against his son, to which the judge responded: "If there is [an] objection to be made, someone will make it but it won't be you."
While the prosecutors want the police report to be used in his upcoming trial, the judge has still not yet ruled whether or not the scandal is considered relevant to the charges at hand.
