Josh Duggar and his legal team are doing everything they can to keep the 19 Kids and Counting star’s previous molestation of minors out of his upcoming child sex abuse materials trial, claiming the “ancient allegations” from Josh’s teen years have no relevance to the crimes he’s going on trial for later this month. In fact, Josh says in new court docs that those molestations may not have even happened after all!
As The Ashley previously reported, the prosecution has made it known that they plan to use the fact that Josh admitted to (but was never charged for) molesting four of his underage sisters, as well as another minor female, back when he was a teen himself. The prosecutors asked the court to use Josh’s history of molestation during his trial, as they say it shows his alleged “sexual interest in young girls.”
However, in new court documents discovered by The Sun, Josh & Co. claim that Josh may not have even molested his sisters and the unnamed minor girl at all, claiming that the 2006 police report was redacted and didn’t show victims’ ages or names.
The team argued in the court docs that, because of this, what Josh did may not even be a criminal act. They also bring up the fact that Josh was never charged with any crimes in relation to the incidents.
(The 2006 police report was exposed in 2015 by In Touch Weekly and led to Josh, his parents Jim Bob and Michelle, as well as two of his victims– sisters Jessa Duggar Seewald and Jill Duggar Dillard– to go public and admit that Josh committed the crimes that were detailed in the police report. Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth later came forward in a lawsuit as two more of Josh’s victims.)
Still, Josh and his legal team state that it’s not clear if the “uncharged allegations [of Josh molesting the five young girls]” were actually committed, and, if they were committed, it’s unclear if the actions “actually constitute a crime” of sexual assault in the second degree “under Arkansas state law.”
“The Report is heavily redacted and, importantly, includes no names or dates of birth of anyone involved making it exceedingly difficult for anyone– much less this Court in ruling on the application of Rule 414– to determine whether Duggar actually committed the acts alleged in the Report and whether the conduct, if committed, constituted a crime, particularly in light of the affirmative defenses clearly set out in the statute.”
Josh and his team further argue that the 2006 allegations are “ancient” and “completely irrelevant” to what Josh is on trial for, which is receiving and possessing child p0rnography. They feel that using Josh’s history will “mislead” the jury in his upcoming trial.
While Josh & Co. argue that now they’re not even sure if Josh “actually committed the acts alleged in the [2006 police report],” it’s a very different story than what Josh and the rest of the Duggar family were telling back when the police report was discovered and exposed by In Touch Weekly in 2015.
When the scandal was discovered, TLC cancelled “19 Kids and Counting” and Josh released a statement in which he confessed that the allegations were true. He admitted that he “acted inexcusably” and that he “hurt others, including my family and close friends.” Jim Bob and Michelle also released a statement at the same time.
“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,” Josh said in the 2015 statement. “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. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”
“Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives,” Jim Bob and Michelle said in a joint statement. “When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.”
Josh’s wife, Anna Duggar, also released a statement at the time, revealing that Josh told her and her parents knew about his past molestations before they got married.
“I can imagine the shock many of you are going through reading this. I remember feeling that same shock,” Anna said. “When my family and I first visited the Duggar home, Josh shared his past teenage mistakes. I was surprised at his openness and humility and at the same time didn’t know why he was sharing it. For Josh, he wanted not just me but my parents to know who he really was – even every difficult past mistakes.”
(She later talked about this again during early episodes of Counting On.)
Jim Bob and Michelle later did an interview with Megyn Kelly about Josh’s actions as a teen. Jessa and Jill also did an interview during the same Megyn Kelly special, discussing their feelings as victims.
Earlier this month, the prosecutors notified the court that they intend to introduce evidence about Josh’s molestation history.
“Specifically, the government notices its intent to introduce evidence that in approximately 2002 and 2003… the defendant attempted to and did commit a crime as defined by Arkansas 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,” the prosecution’s request reads, adding that the evidence will include “testimony that the defendant was investigated for, admitted to, and received counseling for touching and sexually molesting multiple minor females, including at least one instance involving the digital penetration of a prepubescent minor.”
The court papers— which prosecutors filed on November 3— state that this evidence will be used to show Josh’s “propensity to commit the charged child sex offense.”
“Evidence of the defendant’s molestation of and sexual interest in minor girls—including, in this case, girls in the approximate age range of the victims depicted in the child sexual abuse material the defendant downloaded or attempted to download from the Internet,” the papers state.
In their response to the prosecution’s request, Josh and his legal team argued that “there is no question the allegations at issue arise at a time when Duggar was a minor and the allegations at issue in this case arise at a time when Duggar was in his thirties.”
Josh also argued that in addition to the police report being “unlawfully leaked,” his conduct in that crime “sheds no light” on whether he “knowingly received or possessed alleged child p0rnography on three days in 2019 as the indictment alleges.”
Josh’s trial is due to begin on November 30. None of his victims have spoken out regarding Josh’s latest statements.
(Photos: Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images; Instagram; TLC; YouTube)
26 Responses
It would not surprise me at all if more incidents of Josh molesting his sisters or someone else come out. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was more than just touching. Sick pig.
I hope you’re wrong – but I don’t think you are.
Someone subpoena Jill. She’s got the support from her husband to tell the truth and she’s already ostracized from her family.
The disgusting part is that she will have to be traumatized all over again by telling what happened to her in open court, because her brother continues to be a disgusting, sniveling scumbag who is given elevated status in their family because he has a penis.
I’ve never been able to stomach this family and their phony wholesome act – just way too good to be true. They treat the females as breeders and 2nd class citizens and to lie about their pervert-piece-of-garbage son they produced just shows how phony they are. We don’t need shows about over-breeders to begin with. You cannot be attentive, good parents with so many children. No one – absolutely no one – needs to be creating so many kids. I am sick of their bull and their hypocrisy.
I am horrified for all of the Duggar girls. I would be screaming from the rooftops the abuse I was subjected to! I would cut JimBoob and Michelle DEAD, and then I would systematically ruin their lives. I would hope my siblings would side with me, but at this point I would no longer care. What a betrayal!!!
Jim Bob’s political campaign has to be dead in the water now
You would hope so but last I read he’s still running unopposed.
Wow this is a new low to invalidate his previous victims. Truly grasping at straws. I hope all his victims are getting proper therapy through this (though I doubt it), and distance themselves from this god-awful family. Also, how can they argue that his past behaviour is irrelevant, and in the next breathe argue that it actually didn’t happen at all? Pick a lane.
There is no Lord that would condone parents throwing 4 daughters credibility under the bus to save one lying son.
Disgusting.
The Duggar sisters have my respect for not speaking out about this already.
I would be screeching about single time he looked at me sideways and I was uncomfortable.
You filthy grub Josh. I hope you get what’s coming to you ten fold.
I thought molesting 4 sisters and a family friend was deplorable . I thought downloading and viewing child p0rn was heinous. But now denying the molestations ever occurred, and if it did happen, it may not be a crime?!?! You CANNOT be serious!!! What an absolute slap in the face to your SISTERS!!!! Your family!!!! Not some unknown human. The women you sat across from at breakfast, lunch and dinner for 20 years. The women with whom you have shared holidays and Sunday worship services and vacations and a lifetime of memories. You know them and you have the gall to allow your attorneys to victimize them yet again, in an attempt to save your ass!!!
What a pathetic excuse for a human. And shame on you, Jim Bob and Michelle for allowing this to happen. You hold an immense amount of blame for the situation your family is in today. Don’t be surprised if you never get to see your daughters and grandkids again.
This. Family. Is. Trash. Grasping for straws.
What in the actual fk did I just read?? How exactly does one admit to what they did and then walk it back when it bites them in the ass? He’s literally asking the world to believe him over those who came forward as his victims. Why would his sisters come forward? Why would there be a lawsuit about the report being leaked if nothing happened? I can GUARANTEE his victims were told to drop the issue (if they even understood what was happening at that age). Why was he sent away for “counseling” if nothing happened?
I grew up in the same cult. I was also a victim of sexual abuse. I was told by the church to handle it in silent because god knows what happened and it was a “heart issue” (I guess hod can only fix your heart in silence or some shit). Filing police reports about ANYTHING in fundieland in rare, so I’m inclined to believe that he DID molest those girls and he DOES have an issue within himself.
I can’t believe Jim Bob and Michelle would emotionally slap their daughters in the face like this. They are literally paying the defense team to erase their girls’ credibility, trauma, truth, and healing process (being molested is a life-long healing process), just to placate their son. Their perverted, no-good, disgusting son.
I have no words.
They’ll just tell them to “turn to the Lord” and “the Lord will walk you through this”. That’s all they ever say about anything hard. They they’ll say “God is so good, he led you through this hard time”.
Religion is a helluva drug.
Women and girls are nothing more than breeders in their religion.
Jim Bob for President!!
He’s so entitled that he thinks his butt can win a election at this point in the game.
The old “it wasn’t me” defense. Classic.
Every dude has this one in his pocket.
stay lit creeper
This is the bottom of the barrel. Josh is going to jail for 20 years and he knows it and that gives me life
Bunch of hypocrites !!
??????
He’s a piece of scum and I hope he gets locked away… The Duggar sisters are once again being victimized by this piece of shit. Those girls have never had proper counselling over what happened to them, and then he goes and tries to say it never even happened. I’m heated hahaha. I hate this guy.
AHAHAHAHAH!!!
OMG Let me get this straight…
“While Josh & Co. argue that now they’re not even sure if Josh “actually committed the acts alleged in the [2006 police report]…..”
Um, molesting FIVE young girls isnt the same as being PRETTY SURE you didnt eat the fried chicken and chocolate cake in the fridge after 2 Ambien, even tho you wake up with greasy fingers and a chocolate ring around your mouth.
Enjoy that Thanksgiving turkey Josh, and I hope you get LOTS of stuffing in prison you disgusting POS.
Absolutely disgusting that they are trying to down play him molesting children. Trying to say that what happened may not have even been a crime because it was redacted is awful and such a slap in the face to his victims. I hope they are allowed to use it in court and throw the book at him. He should never be allowed near children ever again, including his own.
What an absolute piece of scum.
So subpoena each of the sisters and let them testify about being molested. Let’s see how willing the Duggars are to lie for each other under oath.
Horrible that their parents would essentially put their daughters in that position to save their trashbag son.
Maybe jim blob is as evil as his son, both give me the creeps.