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Josh Duggar’s child pornography arrest shocked the world. It wasn’t because the father of seven is a stranger to scandal and trouble. Since the Duggar family first appeared in the spotlight, they’ve weathered three separate scandals. Josh Duggar has been at the center of all three. We’ve put together a brief timeline of what has happened thus far.
News that Josh Duggar molested several of his sisters and a family friend broke in 2015
In 2015, In Touch published a police report that revealed Josh Duggar had molested several of his sisters and a family friend between 2003 and 2004. Josh was a teen when the incidents occurred. His victims ranged in age.
TLC canceled the family’s reality TV show, 19 Kids and Counting, amid mounting pressure from sponsors. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar discussed what happened in an interview with Megyn Kelly. Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald, two of Josh’s victims, were also interviewed. Family followers lambasted Jim Bob and Michelle for their handling of the situation. The scandal would later be discussed at Josh’s child pornography trial.
Following the reports, Josh resigned from his job in Washington D.C. and returned home to Arkansas with his wife and children. The molestation scandal wasn’t the only issue the Duggar family would need to contend with that year.
Several months later, Josh Duggar admitted to cheating on his wife
The molestation scandal was not the last the world would hear from Josh Duggar. In August 2015, Gawker revealed that Josh Duggar had signed up for Ashley Madison twice. Hackers breached the dating website that promised discretion for its married clients and walked away with personal identifying information for more than 30 million accounts. Josh was one of them.
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The married father also had an OkCupid account in which he used the image of another man to try to get dates. Josh checked into a religious rehab facility shortly after admitting he had cheated on his wife.
In 2016, two lawsuits were filed against Josh Duggar, both related to his cheating scandal. Danica Dillon, an adult entertainment star, filed a lawsuit claiming Josh sexually assaulted her after he paid her for a sexual encounter at a Philadelphia strip club. Matthew McCarthy, the man whose photo Josh used in his dating profile, sued the former reality TV star, too. McCarthy’s lawsuit claimed the unauthorized use of his photos caused him emotional duress.
In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed a raid on a car lot owned by Josh Duggar
Josh remained mostly out of the spotlight after his cheating scandal. The used car salesman didn’t appear on the family’s reality TV series, Counting On, and rarely appeared on social media. That all changed in November 2019. Rumors began swirling that the FBI had raided the Duggar family compound. The Duggar initially denied the report.
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While the FBI stated that they had no active investigation, the Department of Homeland Security later revealed they were at a property owned by Josh Duggar. KNWA, a local news affiliate, confirmed the federal agents were present at an address that matched the address of a car lot Josh Duggar owned. Shortly after, the lot was shuttered, and the business’s Facebook page was scrubbed. It would take more than a year for Duggar family followers to find out what happened.
Federal agents arrested Josh Duggar on two child pornography charges in 2021
After the November 2019 raid on Josh Duggar’s car lot, all seemed to fall quiet in Springdale, Arkansas. Duggar family critics were sure something was amiss, though. They were correct. In April 2021, federal agents arrested Josh Duggar on two child pornography charges. The arrest came just one week after Josh and Anna announced their seventh pregnancy.
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Josh was released in May 2021 into the care of a chaperone to await trial. A jury convicted him on both counts in December 2021. Judge Timothy L. Brooks will sentence Josh on May 25. The prosecution has recommended 20 years behind bars.