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Where ’19 Kids and Counting’ Alum Josh Duggar Is Today After Child Porn Charges and Prison Transfer
Disgraced reality star Josh Duggar’s future was decided during his sentencing on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, after he originally faced two charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. Where is the 19 Kids and Counting alum today? Keep reading for an update.
Where is Josh Duggar now?
Josh was transferred from Washington County Detention Center at 4:08 p.m. local time on Friday, June 24, according to jail records viewed by In Touch. “I can confirm that he has left the facility,” a Washington County Detention officer told In Touch.
The former reality TV star is being transferred to one of two prison options following his May sentencing hearing. He is either going to a correction facility in Seagoville, Texas, to serve the length of his sentence or to Texarkana, Texas.
Previously, Josh was in police custody since he was found guilty of the two child pornography counts on December 9, 2021, following a six-day trial. He was residing in Washington County Jail in Arkansas and was kept in solitary confinement for his own safety.
How long will Josh Duggar be in prison?
The former TLC star was sentenced to 151 months (12 years and seven months) in prison at his sentencing hearing on May 25. He initially faced up to 20 years in prison on each count, totaling 40 years, and up to $250,000 in fines prior to the hearing. His lawyers and family members continuously pled the judge for leniency, and the judge dropped one of the counts: possessing child pornography.
On May 11, Duggar’s defense attorneys filed a sentencing memorandum with the court asking for a combined prison sentence of five years. The prosecution asked that Duggar serve the maximum sentence.
“We’re grateful the judge dismissed Count 2 and rejected the Government’s request for a 240-month sentence,” Josh’s attorney Travis Story tells In Touch of his 151-month sentence. “We look forward to continuing the fight on appeal.”
What will happen to Josh Duggar after sentencing?
“I would assume there will be an appeal,” former U.S. Attorney David Haas exclusively told In Touch of Duggar after he was found guilty. “However, the specific issues raised on appeal will take time to be heard. The trial court has already heard these issues so a successful appeal could be difficult.”
The legal expert, who has defended against child porn-related charged added, “The Federal Sentencing Guidelines will suggest an advisory sentencing range. In most cases, the Guidelines range will be lower than the maximum penalty – in this case, less than 40 years.”
Are Josh Duggar and wife Anna still together?
Anna Duggar (née Keller) supported her husband during his sentencing hearing in May, as she was seen in the courthouse. Just weeks before his sentencing trial, a source exclusively told In Touch she “doesn’t consider divorce” from her husband “an option.”
“Some of her relatives want her to, but it goes against everything in her being,” the insider said on May 13, clarifying that Anna, 34, “has thought about” a legal separation.
“Obviously, no one would judge her if she did,” the source added. “In fact, there’s been a lot of talk that she should seriously consider it.”
The couple, who wed in 2008, share seven children — Mackynzie, Michael, Marcus, Meredith, Mason, Maryella and Madyson. They welcomed Madyson in October 2021.
In June 2022, another source told In Touch that Anna is “still coming to grips” with Josh’s prison sentence. “The kids will be fine for a little while, but then they’ll start asking a million questions,” the source added. “It’s a lot to deal with, but she’s strong and determined.”
The insider also reveals how Anna has been dealing with the situation. “Anna is relying on her faith to face the challenges ahead,” the source explained.
Additionally, Anna has continued to have a close relationship with her husband’s family. “Anna’s family, the Kellers, have rallied around her, but she’s still close to the Duggars too,” the insider said. “She hasn’t turned her back on her in-laws.”
Anna has proven that she plans to stay by Josh’s side, and even hinted that she was spending her 34th birthday by visiting him in prison on June 23.
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