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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Reanna Smith

Duggar family now as eldest son Josh jailed over sick child sexual abuse images

American reality star Josh Duggar has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison after being found guilty of the possession and receipt of child sexual abuse images.

The 34-year-old is known for his appearance on the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, which documented the family life of Christian Baptists Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and their 19 children living under one roof in Arkansas.

Fans were fascinated by their unusual lives - the girls were controlled with a strict code of behaviour and morales and were not allowed to show skin above their knees. Their relationships were similarly monitored, with boyfriends only allowed to 'court' them once they'd sought permission from Jim Bob.

The show was a hit, but it was pulled from TLC in 2015 when details of Josh Duggar's molestation scandal came to light.

It was revealed that Josh, who is the eldest Duggar child, had been accused of a string of sexual abuse allegations dating back to 2002, and included the molestation of five young girls - including some of his own sisters.

Seven years on from the scandal, and without their reality show behind them, here’s what the Duggar family are up to now.

Josh Duggar

Josh Duggar has been jailed for over 12 years (Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images)

Josh Duggar is married to his wife Anna and the pair have seven children together, with the youngest born on October 23 2021.

Earlier that same year Josh was arrested and was later found guilty of one count of possessing and one count of receiving child sexual abuse images.

Josh was handed a 151-month jail sentence - over 12 years - by Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court, and was also fined $10,000.

E! News also reports that he will be placed on a 20-year supervised release, be required to participate in a sex offender treatment programme, be prohibited from unsupervised contact with minors - including his own children - and that he will not be able to use a computer or any device with internet without approval.

The sick cache of images were found on Duggar's work computer after a police raid, with the judge telling the court how he was struggling to get some of the "horrific" pictures out of his head.

Judge Brooks added: "As the court has found, you have a history of sexual abuse. One of the Jane Does was five years old, you were 15.

"You [remain] locked into the very same age group as the Jane Does. We can say it's been a long time, and it has. But the sexual interest is the same."

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar

Michelle and Jim Bob have show support for their eldest son Josh (Getty Images for Extra)

Parents of the 19 Kids And Counting brood, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar married in 1984 and are still together.

Since the show was cancelled, they have been vocal about their support for their children and last year they broke their silence about Josh’s scandal after he was convicted.

In a statement posted to the family website, they said: "As parents, we will never stop praying for Joshua, and loving him, as we do all of our children.

“In each of life's circumstances, we place our trust in God. He is our source of strength and refuge. Thank you for your prayers."

Just three weeks after the guilty verdict, Michelle and Jim Bob seemingly returned to normal family life as they threw a big New Year's eve party for friends and family at their Arkansas home.

The elder Duggars

Jana Duggar still lives at home (Instagram/ @justinsamduggar)

Eldest daughter Jana Duggar is not married and still lives at home with her parents in Arkansas aged 32.

In January 2022, Jana pleaded guilty to a third-degree count of endangering the welfare of a minor and was ordered to pay $880 in fines and fees as a result.

Jana’s twin, David Duggar, married Abbie Grace Burnett in 2018 and the couple welcomed their first child Grace in 2020. They also announced in May 2022 that they are expecting their second child together.

Jill's husband Derick liked a tweet that branded the Duggar family "disgusting" (Instagram)

Jill Duggar married her husband Derick Dillard in 2014 and the couple now have two children together.

In 2021, Jill revealed that she suffered a miscarriage just days after learning that she was pregnant. But in February the family revealed they were expecting again.

Jessa Duggar also married in 2014; she and her husband Ben Seewald share four children together, with the youngest arriving in July 2021.

Jinger Duggar is married to American football player Jeremy Vuolo (Splash News)

Jinger is also married, her wedding to American footballer Jeremy Vuolo was in 2016 and they have since had two daughters. Recently, she celebrated her husband's graduation from The Master’s Seminary, a pastoral training ministry.

The middle Duggars

Joseph Duggar is married to Kendra Caldwell and they have one son and two daughters.

Josiah Duggar had a failed courtship but is now married to Lauren Swanson. The couple sadly experienced a miscarriage with their first pregnancy but welcomed their rainbow baby in November 2019.

Joy-Anna welcomed a daughter in 2020 (Joy-Anna Duggar/Instagram)

Joy-Anna Duggar is married but she also experienced a miscarriage in 2019. In 2020 she welcomed her second daughter Evelyn.

Jedidiah Duggar welcomed a son with his wife Katey in May 2022 (jed_duggar /Instagram)

Twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah are both now married. Jedidiah married wife Katey in 2021 after courting for a year, and Jeremiah tied the knot in March 2022 after just five months of courting.

Jason Duggar is not yet married, he currently works as a contractor and shared a house tour with his Instagram fans in April.

The younger Duggars

There’s not much to report on what the youngest Duggar children are up to right now, as they’re still all quite young.

James Duggar is now 20, but it’s not known what he’s currently up to.

Meanwhile, his younger brother Justin Duggar is already married to his wife Claire at just 19 years old.

Jackson recently reached adulthood, turning 18 on May 23 2022, and younger sister Johanna is now a teenager. The 16-year-old is rumoured to have started courting.

But the other three youngest Duggars, Jennifer, Jordyn and Josie, are still enjoying childhood.

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