It’s been nearly six months since Josh Duggar was found guilty of possession and receipt of child pornography charges.
In December 2021, the former 19 Kids and Counting star was hauled back into custody following the guilty verdict. He has remained in the Washington County Detention Center in solitary confinement for his own protection.
After months of anticipation and delays, Josh Duggar finally learned his fate in court today.
How much time will Josh Duggar serve?
Going into sentencing, Josh Duggar was looking at up to 40 years in prison with a possibility of a hefty fine as well.
It was confirmed that possession of child pornography is a lesser offense than receipt of the material, so the second charge was dropped during sentencing. Given that information, the maximum he could serve would be 20 years.
Judge Timothy Brooks chose to sentence Josh to 151 months in prison. That works out to 12.5 years, which would put him out in 2034. The sentence is less than the prosecution asked for and more than the five years the defense asked him to consider.
However, based on the time he spent in Washington County, he will get credit for nearly six months, bringing the total to closer to 12. It’s likely he will serve 85% of his sentence, which puts him out in roughly 10 years, or 2032.
Josh will either be serving his time in Seagoville, Texas, or Texarkana, Arkansas. He reportedly showed zero emotion when the judge handed down the sentence.
When Josh Duggar is released from prison, his youngest child will be almost 11 years old.
Anna Duggar and Michelle Duggar wrote letters ahead of sentencing
Ahead of Josh Duggar’s sentencing, Anna Duggar wrote to the judge to give him an idea of what Josh Duggar means to her and their children and why they need him. She talked about his heart for giving and went on to talk about what a good person he has been.
Michelle Duggar’s letter was similar. She bragged about her son and asked for leniency on his behalf. Her letter concluded with her signature, complete with a heart above the “i” in her name.
Critics were quick to bash Anna and Michelle, but Amy Duggar King came out with some harsh criticism. She went hard on Anna but offered her assistance if she chose to walk away. Amy told her she needed to keep her kids safe and even posted an open letter to her on Instagram.
The Duggar siblings remained silent ahead of Josh Duggar’s sentencing, but their reactions to the time he will be serving will likely come out over the next few days. Joy-Anna, Jason, and James Duggar were the only siblings present in court for the sentencing.
Many of them released statements about the verdict, so following with the sentencing only makes sense.
…and the time served goes towards this as well.
Was not long enough. Piece of trash. At least the majority of his kids will be safe.
I’m sorry but he got what he deserved! Why would Anna or Michelle think that what he did was ok? He needs mental help! You don’t fix something like what he has done over night! I would be concerned about him being around his own children. If Anna isn’t concerned about him then maybe she needs to get some help also.