The "19 Kids and Counting" star has been found guilty of downloading and possessing child pornography.
On Thursday, it was announced that Josh Duggar, of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting, has been found guilty in possession of child pornography, states the verdict given by U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks.
Duggar, 33, was found guilty on one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks announced that sentencing will take place in about four months. Duggar was taken into custody after the verdict was announced, according to a local Arkansas news station.
Justin Gelfand, one of Duggar's lawyers, issued a statement to USA TODAY, which said, "We appreciate the jury’s lengthy deliberations, we respect the jury’s verdict, and we intend to appeal."
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, Clay Fowlkes, also issued a statement, saying, "This verdict also demonstrates that no person is above the law. Regardless of wealth, social status, or fame, our office will continue to seek out all individuals who seek to abuse children and victimize them through the downloading, possession, and sharing of child pornography."
Authorities said they began investigating Duggar after a Little Rock police detective found child porn files were being shared by a computer traced to Duggar. A federal agent testified in May that images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, were downloaded in 2019 onto a computer at a car dealership Duggar owned.
Back in April, Duggar was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service and booked into jail in Washington County, Arkansas, according to government records. Duggar was then released from jail in May after appearing virtually in federal court for a detention hearing.
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas indicted Duggar, alleging that in 2019 he "knowingly" received images of children under the age of 12.
"Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children," states a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The Duggar family rose to fame with their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, which chronicled the personal life of Arkansas parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. However, TLC canceled the show in 2015 following a sexual abuse scandal, which found that Duggar had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter when he was a young teen. At that time, he admitted to a porn addiction and cheating on his wife.
*This is an ongoing story and will be updated accordingly. Refresh for updates!