(NewsReady.com) – TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” featured Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 kids. The show centered around their Christian faith and was one of the network’s most popular programs. In 2015, it blew up when their oldest son apologized for molesting multiple girls. He’s now in prison on unrelated charges, and the Supreme Court just refused to hear his case.
In 2021, a federal jury in Arkansas found Josh Duggar guilty of receiving sexual images of a child. He downloaded the abusive images of children, including toddlers, onto a computer that he kept at the car dealership he owned. A judge sentenced him to 12 years in prison. In 2023, the court extended his sentence two more months after authorities found him in possession of a contraband cell phone.
The former reality star appealed his case. The 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the trial judge in the case and upheld Josh Duggar’s conviction. He appealed his case to the Supreme Court, arguing the trial judge excluded evidence of a possible alternative suspect having downloaded the files. According to Justin Gelfand, Duggar’s attorney, there was an employee at the dealership who’d previously committed a sexual offense.
The lawyer argued that the jury had the right to decide what evidence to believe. Instead of being given that option, he said the judge made the decision. His attorney also argued that the search of the dealership shouldn’t have been allowed because his attorney wasn’t there.
On June 24, the Supreme Court released its order and denied Duggar’s petition for certiorari. As usual, the justices didn’t give any explanation for their decision.
Prosecutors never charged Duggar for molesting his four sisters. Police claimed the statute of limitations had already passed. The former TV star has a wife and seven children.
Duggar is serving his sentence at FCI Seagoville in Texas.
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