Inside the Duggar Family’s Criminal History: From Josh’s Arrest to Jana’s Misdemeanor

Josh’s Molestation Scandal

Josh inappropriately touched five young girls when he was a teenager in 2006, according to documents exclusively obtained by In Touch. He was never charged with a crime.

“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 while breaking his silence on the scandal in May 2015. “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.”

Following his confession, Josh resigned from his position at the Family Research Council.

Josh’s Child Pornography Arrest

Josh once again made headlines in April 2021 when he was arrested and taken into police custody. He was charged with one count of possessing and one count of receiving child pornography.

The disgraced TV personality pleaded not guilty but was later convicted of both counts in December 2021. The possession conviction was later dismissed during his May 2022 sentencing hearing, where he was sentenced to serve 12.5-years in prison at the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) Seagoville in Texas. 

Josh’s legal team challenged the child pornography conviction and requested a new trial the following month. The appeal was filed in an effort to “suppress incriminating statements” Josh made to federal authorities during initial questioning and to overturn a lower court’s decision to deny another person’s previous sex offense convictions from being mentioned during the trial. 

During a February 2023 appearance against the prosecution, his lawyer, Justin Gelfand, argued that federal agents seized Duggar’s phone when he tried to contact his attorney during a raid at his business over a year before he was arrested in April 2021.

The Counting On alum’s sentence was extended in May 2023 due to him allegedly possessing a cell phone while serving his sentence in February 2023. At the time, In Touch confirmed his release date was moved to October 10, 2032. 

Josh’s appeal was denied and his judgment was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on August 7, 2023. His lawyer filed for an extension of time and rehearing of this case on August 18, 2023, before the motion was denied on September 28, 2023. 

That same month, In Touch confirmed that Josh’s release date was adjusted again to October 2, 2023, according to ​online records from the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Seagoville in Texas.

Duggar’s request for a new trial was terminated indefinitely on October 5, 2023. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit chose to uphold Josh’s December 2021 conviction, according to legal paperwork viewed by In Touch. 

Jana’s Misdemeanor

In September 2021, the family’s eldest daughter,  Jana Duggar, was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor after an alleged incident. The Counting On alum pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge on September 23.

In December 2021, In Touch obtained Jana’s citation report which revealed the misdemeanor charge was filed on September 10 for an incident that allegedly occurred on September 9, 2021, and was fined $430.

Jana broke her silence on the situation in December of that year.

“I prefer a more private life, but I know my last name means that everything we do is open to public criticism and interest, especially during this time,” she wrote via her Instagram Stories at the time. “The raw facts: I was babysitting a few months ago when one of the children wandered outside alone. A passerby who saw the child called the police. This resulted in a written citation, as well as a follow-up with child welfare who concluded that it was an accident and the child was unharmed. They recognized it was a case of a child slipping out of the house when you turn your back for a moment.”

Jana was scheduled to appear in court on January 10, 2022, though she settled the charge outside of court, In Touch confirmed.

Visit From Authorities

The Duggar family compound was visited by police as part of a follow-up investigation on June 25, 2023, In Touch confirmed at the time.

Authorities were on the property at 8:26 a.m., In Touch confirmed via online records. However, it is not currently known what incident took place at the location or order for police to make the visit.