When Josh Duggar was convicted on child pornography charges back in December of 2021, he was immediately cuffed and taken to a county jailhouse in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he has remained ever since.
For safety reasons, the disgraced former reality star has been held in solitary confinement.
So it’s likely to be a shock to Josh’s system when he’s removed from his cell on Wednesday and led into a courtroom packed with reporters and photographers for his long-delayed sentencing hearing.
In the lead-up to Josh’s sentencing, several members of his family have issued appeals to the judge urging him to be lenient in his sentencing.
Josh’s wife, Anna Duggar, wrote a letter to in which she begged the judge to reunite the father of seven with his young children.
Similarly, Josh’s mother, Michelle Duggar, wrote a letter in which she bizarrely argued that Josh’s skills in handling his family’s finances are an indication of his superior character.
Neither Anna nor Michelle made any mention of Josh’s crimes, and insiders say both women are still convinced of his innocence.
They also made no mention of the fact that while he was still in his teens, Josh molested five young girls, four of whom were his sisters.
His parents helped him to evade prosecution, which is believed to be one of the reasons that Jill Duggar — who was one of Josh’s victims — decided to cut ties with her parents.
Interestingly, Michelle and Anna are the only members of the massive Duggar family who wrote letters to the judge on Josh’s behalf.
His many siblings apparently declined to weigh in on the matter.
Not only that, but fans have noticed that the elder Duggar sisters have mostly gone silent on social media.
Earlier this week, Jill turned 31, and she posted a pic to acknowledge the occasion, but she was not publicly acknowledged by any members of her family.
Similarly, Jinger posted about her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, graduating from divinity school, but her account has been inactive ever since.
Many fans believe this is Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy-Anna’s way of silently protesting their parents’ continued support for the man who terrorized them during their childhood.
Whatever the case, it seems that Anna and Michelle’s letters to the judge may have had the opposite of the intended effect.
“To support his argument, Duggar relies on claims from his wife, his mother, and others that he is ‘deeply devoted’ to his faith and family,” reads a response from the prosecution, originally obtained by UK tabloid The Sun.
“He claims that the writers are ‘extremely supportive while fully aware of his conviction[s],’ and that this ‘will enable him to make the most of the rest of his life and to work hard to ensure that his children’s lives are impacted as little as is possible’ by his trafficking in CSAM,” the filing continues.
“These claims only underscore the appropriateness of the Government’s sentencing recommendation.”
The prosecution goes on to argue that the amount of blind loyalty that Josh receives from his wife and parents is another reason that he should be locked up for as long as is legally permissible.
“Indeed, his supportive family and public-facing and privileged lifestyle make his pattern of criminal conduct all the more baffling,” the DA’s office writes.
“Despite achieving some level of fame through reality television as an adult, he is better known at this point for his behavior outside his family’s show, including his sexual improprieties and criminal sexual conduct.
“More importantly, none of these letters meaningfully grapple with his crimes or his sexual proclivities toward prepubescent girls.”
The prosecution argues that it’s “unlikely” Josh will “ever receive the treatment and accountability needed to prevent him from reoffending should he maintain this posture.”
“In fact, given the apparent success of his blame tactics with some of the individuals he intends to surround himself with after his release from incarceration, it is not just unlikely—it is inconceivable,” the document concludes.
Yes, Michelle and Anna may have accidentally strengthened the argument for giving Josh a longer sentence.
He’s facing up to 20 years behind bars — and we’re sure his many victims would breathe a sigh of relief if he were to receive the maximum penalty.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.
Source: Read Full Article
