Josh Duggar’s cousin, Amy Duggar, has spoken out just days after his mom and sister pleaded for a lesser sentence, and she’s “sickened” by their comments…
Amy King (Duggar) shared that she felt she had a “responsibility to stand up and be truthful because my other family members aren’t.”
Scroll on for all the latest…
The Duggars first rose to fame thanks to the reality show 19 Kids and Counting.
But while the family portrayed a wholesome image…
There have been quite a few scandals over the years.
So much so that TLC eventually pulled the plug on the show in 2015 following Josh Duggar’s scandal involving young children.
At the time, Josh said: “Twelve years ago, as a young teenager. I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret.”
He continued: “We spoke with authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling.”
The incidents occurred when he was fourteen, in 2002 and 2003.
The family didn’t report the incidents until the statute of limitations passed in 2006. At the time Josh said he believed God showed him mercy and gave him redemption.
Then, last year, Josh was arrested and charged with receiving and possessing child p****graphy.
People reported that Josh was arrested on charges of child p****graphy as he was found to have more than 200 images of children on his computer.
Homeland Security special agent Gerald Faulkner described the things found as “in the top 5 of the worst of the worst that I’ve ever had to examine,” the Daily Mail reported.
Faulkner also said that Josh downloaded files that included “a series of child s*xual abuse material involving minor children.”
Despite the finding, Josh was granted jail release ahead of his trial…
And, he was also still permitted to have contact with his children.
In December 2021, following a trial in Arkansas, Josh was found guilty of receiving and possessing abuse material.
Josh has been in prison since the verdict and is due to be sentenced later this month.
Ahead of the sentencing, sentencing memorandum’s have been submitted by Josh’s defense team and federal prosecutors.
According to the Daily Mail, the sentencing memorandum filed by Josh’s legal team included character references from his mom, Michelle, and his wife, Anna in which they pleaded with the judge and asked for a light sentence.
The outlet reports that in his mom’s letter she wrote that she wished to “share some things about Joshua’s character that may not be fully known to the court” in the hope that they will be “taken into consideration as a fair and just sentence is determined.”
Describing him as having a “tender heart” and as someone who is “compassionate,” Michelle wrote: “If someone is having a difficult time, he is one of the first to encourage or try to help them in a tangible way.”
In the letter, Michelle described Josh as “organized,” “diligent,” “loving” and “patient.”
At the end she added that she stands “ready to offer my continued love and encouragement to Joshua and his family and for their success in the future – together.”
“We ask that he would be reunited with his wife and family in a timely manner.”
Josh Duggar’s cousin, Amy King, who appeared in the show with Josh, has since spoken out about their comments…
She took to social media to share that she is “sickened” by what they had to say.
“Sickened by the news lately. I have so much to say leading up to the sentencing and I’m not afraid anymore,” Amy tweeted on Thursday.
She tweeted again on Friday, writing: “First of all Josh is funny, charismatic, kind and all the things my aunt listed in the letter. But there’s a sinister side,” she wrote. “A side to him that makes your skin crawl. You can’t ignore what he did years ago, and what he was caught looking at! Are they delusional?”
In the following tweet, she noted how abusers don’t always look “shady.”
“Abusers are not all shady men lurking in alleyways. They are amongst your friends, classmates, coworkers, family, etc… they are sociable, well-liked, charismatic, charming even, making it that much more important to act accordingly when outed.”
“Wake up people. Stop living in denial,” she added.
She later addressed Josh’s wife on Twitter.
“Dear Anna, How can you call your husband loyal and faithful? Did you forget his Ashley Madison account? Danica Dillon?” King wrote. “Did you forget he has had a huge porn addiction for years? No loving, honest, committed husband would ever disrespect their wife like that.”
This was in reference to Duggar being a member of the Ashley Madison website.
And that adult film star Danica Dillon told the press that she had hooked up with Duggar twice.
Amy concluded that “Anyone can have good qualities building forts, help people, smile for the camera…”
But it’s “WHO IS HE WHEN NO ONE IS AROUND? THAT IS WHAT MATTERS!! HIS CHARACTER IS MUD.”
Amy later told Insider: “It’s all sad and sickening because the victims will never see justice. It’s not about having my name in the media or watching my follower count go up on social media,” she said.
“They expect to be able to continue to cover up and sweep huge scandals under the rug. Enough is enough. This man deserves the full sentence, and even that doesn’t come close to justice. I am grateful that light is finally breaking through.”
According to Insider, Josh’s legal team has stated in the sentencing memorandum that he should receive a maximum sentence of 5 years.
They reportedly said that he “maintains his innocence and intends to exercise his right to an appeal.”
However, federal prosecutors are hoping for the sentence to be 4 times longer…
In the sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors, it was stated that they believed a twenty-year sentence was suitable given his crimes.
The outlet reports that prosecutors said their request for a long sentence was based on several different reasons.
Those reasons included his “prior s*xual exploitation of multiple minors” and his “extraordinary efforts” to view abuse material, as well as his “refusal to take accountability for or acknowledge any of his criminal conduct.”
Prosecutors wrote that Josh had a “pattern of activity involving child s*xual abuse” and that this pattern shows “a clear and long-standing s*xual interest.”
“And troublingly, this s*xual interest in children has gone and will likely continue to go — based on Duggar’s conduct throughout this case — unacknowledged and untreated,” they wrote, the outlet reports.
The outlet reports that prosecutors also stated that “Duggar has a deep-seated, pervasive, and violent s*xual interest” and that he has a “willingness to act on that interest.”
Josh Duggar is due to be sentenced on May 25th.