Josh Duggar’s Scandals: A Brief Timeline
The arrest of Josh Duggar for child pornography shook the world. Not because scandals and trouble are alien to the father of seven. Since the Duggar family first burst into the spotlight, they’ve weathered three separate scandals. Josh Duggar was the focus of all three. We’ve put together a brief timeline of what’s happened so far.
News that Josh Duggar was abusing several of his sisters and a family friend broke in 2015
In 2015, In Touch released a police report revealing that Josh Duggar had molested several of his sisters and a family friend between 2003 and 2004. Josh was a teenager when the incidents happened. His victims were of different ages.
TLC canceled the family’s reality TV show, 19 children and counting, amid mounting pressure from sponsors. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar opened up about what happened in an interview with Megyn Kelly. Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald, two of Josh’s victims, were also interviewed. Family supporters berated Jim Bob and Michelle for their handling of the situation. The scandal was later discussed in Josh’s child pornography trial.
According to the reports, Josh quit his job in Washington DC and returned to Arkansas with his wife and children. The molestation scandal wasn’t the only issue the Duggar family had to deal with that year.
A few months later, Josh Duggar admitted to cheating on his wife
The molestation scandal wasn’t the last the world heard from Josh Duggar. In August 2015, Gawker announced that Josh Duggar had signed on for Ashley Madison twice. Hackers broke into the dating site that promised discretion to its married customers and disappeared with personal identifying information for more than 30 million accounts. Josh was one of them.
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The married dad also had an OkCupid account where he used another man’s picture to try to get dates. Josh entered a religious rehab facility shortly after admitting he cheated on his wife.
Two lawsuits were filed against Josh Duggar in 2016, both related to his cheating scandal. Danica Dillon, an adult entertainment star, filed a lawsuit alleging that Josh sexually assaulted her after he paid her to have a sexual encounter at a Philadelphia strip club. Matthew McCarthy, the man whose photo Josh used on his dating profile, also sued the former reality TV star. McCarthy’s lawsuit alleged that the unauthorized use of his photos caused him emotional distress.
In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed a raid on a Josh Duggar car lot
Josh mostly stayed out of the spotlight following his cheating scandal. The used car salesman did not appear on the family’s reality TV series, Count on, and rarely appeared on social media. That all changed in November 2019. Rumors began to circulate that the FBI had raided the Duggar family compound. The Duggar initially denied the report.
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While the FBI said there was no active investigation, the Department of Homeland Security later announced they were on Josh Duggar property. KNWA, a local news affiliate, confirmed that the federal agents were present at an address that matched the address of a parking lot that Josh Duggar owned. Shortly thereafter, the property was closed and the company’s Facebook page scrubbed. It would be more than a year before followers of the Duggar family found out what had happened.
Federal agents arrested Josh Duggar in 2021 on two child pornography charges
Things seemed to be going quiet in Springdale, Arkansas following the November 2019 raid on Josh Duggar’s car lot. However, critics of the Duggar family were sure something was wrong. You were right. In April 2021, federal agents arrested Josh Duggar on two child pornography charges. The arrest came just a week after Josh and Anna announced their seventh pregnancy.
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Josh was released into the care of a chaperone in May 2021 to await trial. A jury convicted him on both counts in December 2021. Judge Timothy L. Brooks will sentence Josh on May 25. Prosecutors recommended 20 years behind bars.
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