After eight days in the courtroom, it’s official: Josh Duggar has been found guilty.
The verdict came in on Thursday morning, following a jury deliberation that lasted about seven hours over two days. Josh— who was arrested back in April and charged with “receiving and possessing child p0rnography”
Josh was in the courtroom as the “guilty” verdict was read in front of many of his family members, including his wife Anna and his father Jim Bob.
The Ashley, who has been in Arkansas covering the trial, has provided live updates each day of the trial.
UPDATE 1:
According to KNWA, Judge Brooks stated that Josh’s sentencing will happen in four months or so (around April 2022). Josh was handcuffed and taken into custody after the verdict was announced so it’s apparent he will not be going home between now and sentencing.
Judge Brooks did state that, although Josh has cooperated fully with the conditions of his bond during the trial, he still needs to be detained between now and sentencing because it’s the law. Josh’s attorney asked “the court to exercise its discretion” with this matter. (Essentially, they were asking for Josh to remain out on bond until sentencing.)
“Mr. Duggar 100 percent has been compliant awaiting trial. I appreciate that and I wanted to acknowledge that,” he said in court, according to The Sun. “However because of the guilty offenses, he must be detained regardless of flight risk so there will be a mandatory detention.”
“The marshals will set that up.”
“The court is constrained,” stated the judge, according to KNWA. “Mr. Duggar will be remanded into custody.”
UPDATE 2:
According to The Sun, Josh was “solemn” as the verdict was read. He was “teary-eyed but not crying” afterwards. He looked at his family in attendance, which included his wife Anna, father Jim Bob, brother Justin (who brought his wife Claire). Anna’s brother-in-law David Waller and Justin’s mother-in-law Hilary Spivey were also present. The Sun‘s in-court reporter states that Justin cried as the verdict was read. Derick Dillard and Austin Forsyth were also present.
“Josh Duggar found guilty on both counts. Was handcuffed in court and taken immediately into custody. He was crying as he spoke to Anna Duggar on the way out of the courtroom,” KNWA‘s in-court reporter tweeted.
As for Anna, who has been in the courtroom every day of the trial, The Sun’s in-court reporter states that she was “completely stoic” and that Josh told he loved her as he was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs.
“As Marshals walked Duggar out of the courtroom, he passed directly by his wife in the gallery and paused to speak to her,” KNWA’s in-court reporter stated. “He had tears in his eyes as they talked quietly for a brief moment. She appeared to maintain her composure.”
Anna received a hug from Josh’s father Jim Bob afterward.
Anna left the courtroom with Jim Bob, her brother-in-law David, Justin and Claire. None of the Duggars in attendance answered questions outside the courtroom. (Click here to see The Sun‘s photos of the Duggars leaving the courtroom.)
Derick was asked to comment as he left the courtroom. According to The Sun, he stated, “I’m just gonna go back and tell my wife [Jill].”
Derick later told Daily Mail outside the courtroom that he was refraining from making a statement just yet.
‘We don’t want to say anything yet, Jill is going through a hard time right now,” he stated.
Derick later told People that he chose to attend the trial to get clarity.
“We just wanted to, among other things, see the facts for ourselves,” he told the magazine. “America is the best country to get justice.”
UPDATE 3:
Prosecutor Dustin Roberts cleared up some confusion regarding the charges Josh was convicted of. In a press conference outside the courthouse after the verdict was read, Prosecutor Roberts stated that “ultimately it will be one count– receipt of child p0rnography.”
He explained that the other count, possessing child p0rnography, is concurrent with the bigger charge of receiving child p0rnography.
“Possession of child p0rnography is a lesser, included offense for receipt of child p0rnography. So by function of law, you cannot be convicted of both.”
UPDATE 4:
Josh’s attorneys have stated that they plan to appeal this conviction.
Defense Attorney Justin Gelfand spoke to KNWA outside the courthouse after the verdict was read.
“We very much appreciate the jury’s lengthy deliberations,” he said in a video posted by KNWA. “We respect the jury’s verdict and we look to continuing this fight on appeal. We plan to appeal at the appropriate time.”
UPDATE 5:
Bobye Holt– a former Duggar Family friend who testified for the prosecution during Josh’s trial— has posted her reaction to the verdict on Facebook.
(Yesterday, Bobye revealed that Josh was almost prosecuted in 2007 for the molestations of his sisters. She also stated that she and her husband Jim have been reporting Josh’s actions to authorities for years but they weren’t believed.)
“Guilty on both counts,” she wrote, adding the hashtags, “#JusticeforJaneDoes12345 #GodIsAGodOfJustice #Finallysomebodybelievedus!”
Josh’s cousin, Amy Duggar, also posted her reaction the verdict on Twitter.
“May the jurors and Judge Brooks seek healing / counseling from all that was exposed to them,” she wrote. “May the children grow up with real Godly men as father figures who will guide and protect them. May the people who were once in disbelief have their eyes opened for the first time.
“May the daughters who were abused feel validated. You are truly beautiful and worthy of love. May there be intense counseling / healing. May there be wisdom for all those involved on how to move forward. Thank you Jesus. Justice has been served,” Amy added.
UPDATE 6:
Josh was been photographed being placed into a police vehicle. He was then booked into custody at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at 12:07 p.m. CST. He is listed as being there on a “contract/courtesy hold.”
Josh had a new mugshot taken, shown below. In the photo, he is smiling and wearing a white collared shirt.
According to Daily Mail‘s sources, Josh will be housed in a secure sex offenders unit. (This has not been confirmed by the court, however.)
UPDATE 7:
The official jury verdict for the count of “receiving child p0rnography” is below.
UPDATE 8:
Video has been released by local news station 40/29 of Josh being booked into the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In the video, a handcuffed Josh is brought into a room with officers, where he sits down, is uncuffed, and asked to remove his shoes and socks.
Josh appears to comply with all of the officers’ requests.
You can watch the video below:
UPDATE 9:
Jill Duggar Dillard and her husband Derick have released a statement following Josh’s conviction, making them the first members of the Duggar Family to do so. In the statement, Derick and Jill liken Josh’s trial to a “funeral,” and reveal why they chose to attend the trial.
“We have been lied to so much that we wanted to hear the evidence for ourselves in court,” they wrote, adding that they felt the verdict was just.
In another part of the statement, they give their thoughts on what will happen to Anna and her seven children.
UPDATE 10:
Jim Bob and Michelle have broken their silence regarding Josh’s conviction.
“A statement regarding Joshua Duggar’s guilty verdict.
“This entire ordeal has been very grievous, the statement posted to the family’s website reads. “Today, God’s grace, through the love and prayers of so many, has sustained us. Our hearts and prayers are with anyone who has ever been harmed through CSAM.
“In the days ahead, we will do all we can to surround our daughter-in-law Anna and their children with love and support.
“As parents, we will never stop praying for Joshua, and loving him, as we do all of our children. In each of life’s circumstances, we place our trust in God. He is our source of strength and refuge. Thank you for your prayers.”
(Photos: Facebook, Washington County Detention Center; Pacer)
82 Responses
Praying he hasn’t been put in to protection.
I hope he will be beaten daily.
YES!!!!!
Well have nice time in jail Josh.
I heard they dont like ped0s in there so dont worry, you’ll probably get a very active s3xlife ?
I came here to say the same thing. Cho-Mos are not treated very well in prison. He deserves everything coming to him.
Let the pig rot in a cell for the rest of his life. You abuse innocent children, you don’t deserve to see the light of day again. He better pray they put his ass in the SHU.
The statement from Jim Boob (typo but it stays cause accurate) and Michelle about how they are praying for the people harmed by CSAM is revolting. Josh is not a victim and the fact they refuse to acknowledge the real victims some of whom are their own daughters is sickening. They are the worst type of people who aided and abetted a sexual predator and continue to do so after multiple incidents. I hope Josh goes to jail for the rest of his life. At first I wanted him to be locked up until the youngest is an adult and out of the house and Anna is too old to bare any more children but then I thought about his future grandkids. He needs to be locked away forever with his track record.
This CHOMO needs the death penalty! The great news is this prison has TVs and these inmates know what a POS he is. My bet is he commits suicide or gets shanked in 9months.
If they REALLY loved all their kids, they would’ve done more to protect their daughters.
The smiling mugshots are creepy.
I wish to god we could have seen his smug face when they cuffed him either way he thought he would go home even if found guilty
He is demon possessed. Look at his face.
I LOVE that he is smiling and showing zero remorse. I hope that when his appeals are heard, the courts have this image burned in their mind and don’t entertain this monster for a single second.
I highly doubt CSA abusers can be rehabilitated, they just get out of lockup & become more sly & sneaky. He’ll turn into a dirty old man.
I hope his appeal request is thrown out & he’s locked up for a long time. Throw away the key, he’s blown his chance to be part of our society many, many times over.
I realize how punchable Josh’s face is every time I see another smiling mugshot. WTF is he smiling for? Is he proud of what a disgusting, perverted piece of shit he is?
Imagine smiling in your mugshot after you get convicted of doing something so heinous. No remorse, he’s so gross.
WTH is he smiling about?
Hé gives me the creeps
Don’t drop the soap homie!!!
Ashley, thank you so much for your DETAILED coverage! I too am surprised by how invested I was in this trial, and your many daily updates sustained me. I’m so glad this evil thing is going to prison.
Anna knew.
She probably knows he touched their daughters.
I’m glad he was convicted. But how long till this creep it out?
He’s not even remorseful.
He is a sick fawk and although I hope he gets life behind bars, it’s doubtful. The research of sex offenders show they never change and will offend again if/when they are released. The only hope is if someone gets castrated but we live in America, not going to happen. People like him are the sickest of the sick and should be taken out into the woods and put to an end.
Unfortunately 20 years is the max for his crime. If he gets less, it’s a shame!
An atheistic HALLEJUAH!!!!
That motherfucker is smiling….
Bubba gonna take care of that smile on that bitch. I would never wish fatal injuries on him but he can get some good ol boy treatment!
Gone is that creepy grin of his, now he is teary eyed!!! No tears for the abused kids tho ehhh, you bastard.
That latest mugshot is sending me. Look at that horrible smile on his stupid face. Throw him in jail and drop the key in the ocean. This “man” is not sorry whatsoever.
So relieved. Hope he gets the maximum sentence. No one should be surprised though. He was essentially born and raised in a sex cult.
I’m kinda shocked at how relieved I felt when I saw the verdict. I don’t know the Duggar’s personally but I did watch the show up until Josh’s earlier crimes were revealed. I’m relieved Josh won’t be able to victimize anyone again for a very, very long time. I’m relieved Josh’s sisters didn’t have to testify at trial. I’m relieved that one less man will be allowed to destroy children. I’m relieved the jury pointedly decided to not allow monsters to run free in their community.
I truly pray for Anna’s kids. I hope they receive the therapy and help needed to move forward with their lives. I hope Anna wakes the hell up and chooses her children over Josh. I hope Jim Bob and Michelle recognize their role in this mess and choose to make changes and be better—better parents, grandparents, and human beings.
Im also relieved Josh was remanded. I have no doubt if he were released back to home confinement today we would be reading tomorrow about his death by suicide. Death would be the easy way out for Josh. He needs to spend the next 40 years paying for his crimes and sins.
Ashley, thank you for doing the hard and dirty work of reporting on this trial. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to listen to details of Josh’s heinous, deplorable crimes. God bless you, and the others (jury, judge, court employees, and everyone else in the courthouse) for putting the greater good of removing a monster from society above your own comfort.
This is a Christmas gift for everyone this year!
The whole family has many screws loose. I am glad that Josh was remanded and it isn’t shocking to me that Anna gives her hubby a hug after he has been found guilty of child porn! WTF!! Guilty of heinous acts that he committed showing children that are the same age as his own children. I am not convinced he hasn’t molested his own children. At least this way his kids will be protected from harm. I do think that Anna will drag their 7 children to prison to visit him. I truly hope that he gets the maximum penalty.
Yes!
40 years please.
Unfortunately, since it’s only 1 charge, the max is 20 years. Equally unfortunate is that he’s not in gen pop – he’s in a section with only other p3dos. I’m sure he’ll get some beat downs & be forced into playtime he won’t appreciate…but I’m sure he’ll survive. I doubt he’d still be alive had he been put in gen pop. Death is too good for him. He needs to get 20 years and suffer every single day of them.
Now put him away and throw away the key. Give his cellmates a heads up on his charges too. I hope he never sees the light of day again. The vile trash he is as well as his enablers. Hopefully this will at least be deterrent to all the other sick fux. Justice for the victims, please God let them be far from this harm and safe now. If he gets anything less than the max I’ll riot.
I can’t even imagine my husband being found guilty of child p0rnography charges, and remaining “stoic”!!! There is something seriously wrong with this family.
Then again, she’s probably in shock thinking about raising those 7 kids alone, on a salary of $0.00 a year!!
Hopefully he will be with the general population in prison where he will experience abuse and trauma on a regular basis for years to come. That is the best possible punishment. Prisoners have no tolerance for demented perverts and the guards will look the other way.
Ohhhh I hope he is, if there is any justice in this world, he would be in general pop.
“Josh’s attorneys have stated that they plan to appeal this conviction.”
This. This is exactly why at sentencing he needs to be given the max. The fact he refuses to acknowledge his responsibility and doesn’t see the gravity of his behavior, and instead wants to fight it. A real man who was regretful of his actions and understands not only the punitive consequences, but also the grave consequences to the children destroyed by rape, would accept the verdict knowing it was just. In my mind, he is still a danger as along as he fights this.
This is standard case procedure. It just means they get to charge him more, there isn’t much to appeal on.
Let them appeal, by all means. I’m all for it. It will make them dig the endless grave even deeper.
I hope that this brings peace for the victims that have been made to continue living in silence with this monster for so long. I hope that this means his own daughters are safe in their home. I also hope that Anna gets the help (both mentally and physically) that she desperately needs to keep those kids safe and well provided for.
YALL DONT UNDERSTAND HOW I JUST HAD TO HOLD IN AN EXCITED SCREAM IN THE BREAK ROOM AT WORK!!!!
I’ve told y’all before, I grew up in the cult. I was abused in this cult. Everything was covered up by the cult. VERY RARELY has any kind of justice ever happened to anyone from the cult. As a former member, I feel so much validation that these people CAN be convicted, that they aren’t as untouchable as they pretend to be. I am trying so hard not to cry before my shift but I just can not believe this finally happened!!
I am very happy that you are out! I am so sorry that you were abused and I wish you nothing but happiness!
It took a long time and I still have a lot of religious guilt to deal with, but I’m much better now than I was when I was in that group. The road to healing is LONG and difficult, but I hope all his victims and those that were exposed to that material find healing and can move forward.
Am I the only one who thinks Anna looks emotionless?
Is she drugged? Or is she genuinely standing by her man..
I’m so confused how anyone could – especially with children in the age range that josh was looking at.
I think women in that cult must be conditioned to swallow their own feelings like after-dinner mints.
It’s a beautiful day, y’all! Best news all year. Best news since 2019, honestly. A disgusting coddled predator has been smacked hard in the face by reality. I am so proud of the judge, the prosecutors, the jury, Ms Bobye Holt…everyone who had a hand in bringing this to fruition.
Of course, there is a vast, matted web of trouble and doubt remaining on the compound, but this is an historic day. Thank you, The Ashley, for being there to bring us the truth. Thank you all here for being the fun, snarky, supportive little community that you are. I am happy to celebrate here with you.
Now, Anna will have to face being ‘reintroduced’ to the 7 children, she abandoned.
girlfriends gonna have to find a job too to provide for those kids…
No if she stays with Josh Jim Bob will provide for her and the kids.
who else was coming back every minute to check for an update? ? thank you to the ashley for taking the initiative and heading to arkansas to update us and more! now hopefully he won’t get a lenient sentence
Happy Days !!! Fayetteville has ended the #DUGGARS Hold over Arkansas
OMG I’m so happy!!! On behalf of every abused child in the world I’m so happy at least one abuser is going to jail and not allowed to hurt any more children. Now CPS must interview his kids ASAP to determine if he abused them and Anna’s responsibility if he did.
I’d pay good money to see JB’s face right now lol
Happy dance ?
Enjoy prison you POS.
Cant wait to see Jim Boobs face leaving the court room. He really though he was above the law.
Wonderful news!! I hope his victims get the peace they so rightly deserve. Thank you The Ashley for all your coverage on this one.
I want pictures of there smug ass faces finally being held accountable
YES!!! Now Anna, get extensive therapy for you and your children, and divorce the sicko. He doesn’t love her, he is incapable of love. Sociopath….
It will be interesting to hear the sentencing and Jim Bob’s spin.
His guilt was incredibly obvious and apparent. I don’t know how anyone thought he’d walk away from this. I’m betting he will get the full 40 years. Just reading a descriptive article about what he did was incredibly traumatic for me, so I imagine that judge is going to throw the book at him. How can you listen to everything he did and not put him away for the maximum possible.
I was SO WORRIED this wouldn’t happen … the good old boys club protected him for way too long … but justice was served.
Now, here’s to a nice, long sentence and healing for the victims.
So glad this scumbag was found guilty
19 inmates and counting.. bye Josh!
Prayers for the victims.
Did he really think he was going to keep getting away with this stuff?
Oh I can’t wait to see Annas smug ass face now.
Surely the judge ordered him detained and not able to go back to that place he was living…
YES!!!! So so thankful that justice is served!!!
Yes!
Jim Bob: “I’m not going to allow that. Are you going to allow that?”
The jury: ” Um, yep. We’re allowing that”
WOOHOO!!! Now lets hope they give him the max. Then go after everyone who enabled him.
Huzzah! Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy! Hope he gets a good sentence!
And a good cellmate!! ??
Justice is served!!!