Federal prosecutors have demanded a twenty-year sentence for Josh Duggar after he was found guilty of receiving and possessing abuse material.
Josh’s “refusal to take accountability” for what he has been found guilty of is one reason why prosecutors are seeking a twenty-year sentence.
Scroll on to find out more…
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.”
According to Insider, Josh’s legal team also 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.”
But, it appears that federal prosecutors are hoping for the sentence to be 4 times longer…
According to Insider, 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.