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Jill Duggar Reveals Josh Was ‘Sent Away’ for a 2nd Time After He Was Caught ‘Looking at Pornography’
Jill Duggar is opening up when it comes to her brother, disgraced reality TV star Josh Duggar, and revealed he was “sent away” to an Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) treatment center for a second time after being caught looking at pornography.
“The IBLP ‘encouraged parents to clip their children’ wings’ and keep them in the ‘role of dependent children’ as long as possible,” Jill, 32, wrote in her memoir, Counting the Cost, which was released on Tuesday, September 12. “Jill said Josh was the one child Jim Bob [Duggar] ‘couldn’t prevent from making mistakes.’”
The TLC personality explained that after Josh was sent away to the Christian rehab center for getting caught molesting underaged girls in 2003, she added, “A few years after he was sent away the first time, Josh was sent away again when he was caught looking at pornography.”
At just 15 years old, Josh was sent away to the Basic Life Principles Training Center in 2003, after he admitted his father, Jim Bob Duggar, to molesting five underage girls — including his sisters Jill and Jessa Duggar. After Jim Bob consulted with the elders of his church, instead of reporting the incident to the authorities, the patriarch made the decision to send his son to the Little Rock, Arkansas-based therapy program. According to legal documents, Josh was never charged with a crime at the time.
Bill Gothard, the founder of the IBLP, claimed Josh was “cleansed” in 2015 after participating in a mix of carpentry, prayer and “lust counseling” at the Arkansas facility, according to the Daily Mail.
After In Touch broke the news of Josh’s molestation incidents in 2015, the eldest Duggar was involved in another scandal only four months later when he was exposed for having an Ashley Madison account, which is a website for people who are looking for partners to engage in extramarital affairs. After he admitted to having a paid subscription and issued a public apology to his wife, Anna Duggar, Josh checked himself into another rehabilitation facility.
Following the scandals, the 19 Kids and Counting alum tried to stay out of the spotlight. However, he once again made headlines when he was arrested on child pornography charges in April 2021.
Jill has been vocal about her brother’s fall from grace and how her views have changed over the years. She previously disclosed during an appearance in the Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets docuseries that Josh had started a Christian Boy’s club called “Boy Cot” to protest a local convenience store that sold alcohol and pornography. She also admitted regret in standing in solidarity amid his molestation scandal when she discussed the issue on-air with Megyn Kelly in June 2015.
“In hindsight, I would not have done the Megyn Kelly stuff,” she said during episode 2 of Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, which premiered in June 2023. “I felt like I was in a place again of, like, bearing the burden and the weight of just — even though you volunteer, it’s like you feel obligated to help.”
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