WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – Former actuality tv persona Josh Duggar was convicted by a jury in Arkansas on Thursday (Dec 9) on federal expenses regarding downloading and viewing photographs and movies depicting the sexual abuse of youngsters, the US Justice Division stated.
Duggar, recognized for the TLC actuality TV present 19 Children And Counting that centered on his dad and mom and their 19 youngsters, was convicted on two felony expenses.
The 33 12 months previous tried to cover his actions through the use of a password-protected partition on the exhausting drive of a desktop pc he saved at his used automobile gross sales lot, prosecutors stated.
The present was suspended in 2015 after information broke that Duggar had molested 5 women together with 4 of his sisters. He issued an announcement on the time admitting to his actions and resigned his submit at a conservative advocacy group, however didn’t face felony expenses regarding that matter.
“At the moment’s verdict sends a message that we’ll observe down and prosecute individuals who obtain and consider baby sexual abuse materials, whatever the lengths they go to hide their conduct,” Kenneth Well mannered, assistant attorney-general on the Justice Division’s Felony Division, stated in an announcement.
Justin Gelfand, a lawyer for Duggar, stated: “We respect the jury’s prolonged deliberations, we respect the jury’s verdict, and we intend to attraction.”
A sentencing date for Duggar has not but been set. He may face between 5 and 20 years in jail for receiving baby sexual abuse supplies, and he may withstand 20 for possessing the supplies.
Legislation enforcement officers first detected his actions throughout an undercover investigation into on-line file-sharing actions and later searched the premises of his used automobile gross sales lot in November 2019. He was charged in April.
The present 19 Children And Counting delved into the spiritual values and beliefs of his dad and mom, together with their opposition to contraception, their desire to home-school their youngsters and their strict guidelines about relationship, which entailed chaperoning their daughters by a courtship and banning them from kissing till marriage.
