Josh Duggar sentencing live updates – 19 Kids and Counting star’s prison time revealed after child pornography case

When was Josh Duggar on trial?

The trial began on November 30, 2021.

On December 9, 2021, Josh Duggar was found guilty on both counts of possessing and receiving child pornography.

Duggar’s pretrial hearing took place on November 18, 2021.

His sentencing hearing occurred on May 25, 2022.

‘We continue to love Josh and his family’

“If for nothing else, the notoriety of this case has hopefully contributed to the deterrence of potential offenders and will help protect children by decreasing the demand for CSAM,” the statement from Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard continued.

“We continue to love Josh and his family and will be there for them however we can.”

Jill and Derick Dillard: ‘It is unfortunate’

“It is unfortunate, but it seems that it may take spending over a decade in federal prison, and still more on probation, for Josh to have any potential for rehabilitation to the point he can safely live in society again,” the statement released on the couple’s website on Thursday continued.

“Hopefully, Josh can actually begin to get treatment and begin to work toward a lifestyle where he is less likely to reoffend.”

‘God has carried out his vengeance’

“The Bible clearly states that God effects justice and vengeance through the governing authorities,” the statement from Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard continued.

“Though some believe Josh should have received a greater sentence and still fewer believe he should have received a lighter sentence, God has carried out his vengeance today for his unspeakable criminal activity.”

“Until now, he has yet to be held accountable to the extent necessary to cause change in his dangerous pattern of behavior.”

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard respond to sentencing

On Thursday, Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, released a statement in response to her brother Josh Duggar’s sentence that was handed down Wednesday.

“Yesterday we learned that Josh was given a 151 month sentence in federal prison for his crime of CSAM,” the couple shared on their family website.

“The last several weeks and months have been difficult emotionally. Yesterday was another one of those hard days.”

“We are neither rejoicing nor disappointed by the sentence, but we are thankful it’s finally over.”

Josh Duggar’s reaction when found guilty

Josh Duggar was “teary-eyed but not crying” when his guilty verdict was given on December 9, according to the Sun reporter at the trial, who also noted he was “solemn.”

Duggar was cuffed immediately and taken into custody.

However, at the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Josh showed little emotion.

Josh had “no reaction” when the sentence was handed down on May 25.

Who prosecuted the case?

Trial Attorney William G Clayman of CEOS and Assistant US Attorneys Dustin Roberts and Carly Marshall of the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas prosecuted the Josh Duggar case.

Josh Duggar sentenced to 151 months

On Wednesday, Josh Duggar was sentenced to 151 months in prison, which is between 12 and 13 years.

When was Josh Duggar’s trial?

Josh Duggar’s child pornography trial took place in December 2021.

The highly-publicized jury trial lasted two weeks before the jury submitted a guilty verdict on both counts on December 9.

Hotline and live support

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).

RAINN also has a live chat available if you would like to speak with a trained staff member who can provide you with confidential crisis support.

Amy Duggar: Josh going away for ‘a long time’

“Josh is going to go away for a really long time,” Amy Duggar told The Sun in an exclusive interview.

“He’s going to go away and he’s going to get the same treatment that he watched those kids get. It’s going to happen, guaranteed.”

‘My heart is with the victims’

“Everyone’s lives have been altered because of what my cousin has done,” Amy added in a video interview for The Sun before the sentencing hearing on Wednesday.

“As for Josh’s character, I am just so grateful that I was protected from my cousin as a child.”

“20 years isn’t enough. I truly believe that he will offend again, and my heart is with the victims and with you Judge Brooks.”

“We are grateful for your wisdom in this matter, please hear us.”

‘An appalling slap in the face’

“Offering leniency as his legal team has requested would be an appalling slap in the face to the children already so grievously harmed,” Amy added in the letter she read to The Sun.

“The harsh sentence this Court could impose could still never come close for the children hurt by these sinister acts. It upset me greatly to see that no one who chose to provide a character reference for Josh expressed any concern for the victims. None.”

Amy continued: “My cousin and his supporters would like you to believe that this is a victimless crime, but it is not.”

“I want to remind the court that this is not only the victim that has been hurt, but their entire families.”

‘False character references’

In a letter, which wasn’t used by the prosecution, that Amy Duggar read to The Sun ahead of the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Amy broke down as she begged Judge Timothy L Brooks to not go easy on her cousin Josh Duggar.

She read: “Dear Honorable Judge Brooks, my other family members have written to you with pleads of leniency for my cousin. They want you to consider his good acts instead of his heinous crimes. This is not that kind of letter.”

“I am not interested in providing false character references for Josh as my other family members have so recklessly done,” she added.

“I trust this court doesn’t need reminding that godly men of good character don’t commit unspeakable crimes against children or that returning this monster to a family with young children without severe long-lasting consequences would surely be a disaster.”

‘He’s a monster’

Amy Duggar hadn’t reached out to her cousin before the sentencing hearing and told The Sun she had no plans to, saying: “I would not speak to him. I have nothing to say. I have nothing to say. I never knew him. I never knew him.”

“What a terrible life he’s lived and will be living. He’s a monster.”

‘He’s in for a rude awakening’

Before the sentencing hearing, Amy Duggar insisted that when it comes to Josh Duggar’s sentence, patriarch Jim Bob, who she is no longer on speaking terms with, “can’t stop him from going to prison.”

She said: “He’s in for a rude awakening very much so, I don’t know how he’s feeling. I don’t know if he feels like he has a good legal team and maybe it’ll work out for him.”

She said of Josh, “Either way, whatever prison he goes to is probably going to feel like a year every single day. He has no idea what’s to come.”

“At this point, I think he’s lost his dang mind. He was privileged growing up. Weren’t we all? We were part of a TV show. You grow up on camera you think, you have perks.”

“I don’t think he’s ever really repented and taken responsibility for his actions because he’s never had to until now.”

‘Very demonic’

When Amy Duggar learned of the child pornography arrest that took place in April 2021, she said her “heart sank so low that day and it’s never honestly come back up,” according to her exclusive interview with The Sun.

She continued: “It’s been one long hard heartbreak for the children. It’s so heavy. I was shocked. Absolutely shocked.”

“I knew he had a pornography problem, but I had no idea it went to the lowest of the low. Very demonic. Extremely demonic to enjoy that.”

“Where did the turn happen? What caused this to happen? My only thought is there is trauma somewhere. I don’t know if that trauma has been announced. I don’t know who caused it. I don’t know what happened.”

‘There is no remorse’

Amy Duggar said of her upbringing and Josh: “He was charismatic. He was funny. We had inside jokes. We didn’t talk all the time, but we kept in touch.”

“We played all the time together outside. It was healthy play. He was a happy guy. I don’t know where that took a turn. I am clueless on that, truly,” she added.

Amy began to distance herself from the family, and especially Josh, when she learned of the molestation allegations against him and after learning that he had been unfaithful to his wife, Anna.

Amy said: “There is no remorse… It’s almost sociopath. There is no emotion at all. It’s very immature and extremely heartbreaking.”

‘Twenty years isn’t enough’

“It’s not justice for the children. There will never be justice for the children. Twenty years isn’t enough,” Amy added in her interview with The Sun.

The oldest Duggar son and his legal team requested just five years in prison, while the prosecution demanded he receive the maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.

Ultimately, Josh was given a sentence of 151 months — over 12 years.

Amy Duggar asked for ‘harshest sentence’

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Josh Duggar’s cousin Amy Duggar King demanded her fallen family member receive the “harshest sentence” possible.

Amy told The Sun when asked how long she believes her cousin should be sentenced: “There is a Bible verse, Luke 17:2. ‘It’s better to hang a millstone over your head and jump into the ocean if you’re going to hurt one of my little ones.'”

“I’m sure he’s watched several children get hurt. If the Bible says jump in the ocean and drown, how long would that equal in prison?”

Which Duggars supported Josh: Amy’s condemnation

And Josh Duggar’s cousin, Amy Duggar King, has been very outspoken against him in recent months.

Earlier this month, she demanded he get the maximum prison sentence of 20 years for his “sick” crimes.

She also urged Josh’s wife Anna to get a divorce and “stop protecting him and his secrets.”

“Someday your kids will be old enough to understand what kind of guy their father really is,” she said.

“You can’t protect them from the truth for forever!”

Which Duggars supported Josh, continued

In fact, many of Josh’s own siblings don’t seem to support him after the guilty verdict was handed down in December.

After Josh was found guilty, his younger sister Jinger Duggar Vuolo slammed his behavior and called his crimes a “horrific evil.”

Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard both condemned the disgraced reality star after a jury found him guilty.

They wrote in a statement: “Nobody is above the law.  It applies equally to everybody, no matter your wealth, status, associations, gender, race, or any other factor.”

Which Duggars supported Josh?

Josh Duggar’s family has been divided in their support or lack thereof for the disgraced reality star.

His wife, Anna Duggar, and mother, Michelle Duggar, both wrote statements of support to Judge Timothy L Brooks ahead of the sentencing hearing on Wednesday.

Michelle said in her letter that Josh has “friends and family who love and support him in his abilities to succeed as a husband, father and business owner, and man both now and in the future!”

But not everyone in Josh’s family is on his side.

What is CSAM?

While the legal term for the charges against Josh Duggar is child pornography, many survivors and advocacy groups prefer the term child sexual abuse material, or CSAM.

“United States federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (a person less than 18 years old),” the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children writes on its website.

“Outside of the legal system, NCMEC chooses to refer to these images as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to most accurately reflect what is depicted – the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.”

‘If you do wrong, be afraid’

On the morning of the sentencing, Derick Dillard, Jill Duggar Dillard’s husband, tweeted Bible verses that may have been alluding to Josh Duggar’s hearing.

“‘…For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good….’” he wrote.

“’But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.’ (Romans 13:3,4)”