Former reality TV star/antigay activist/accused child molester Josh Duggar endured bombshell announcements in a preliminary court hearing yesterday. Close friends of the Duggar family testified that the 33-year-old first began sexually molesting little girls 21 years ago, which, we did the math, means he was 12 (12!) when the alleged behavior started.
The former 19 Kids and Counting star stands accused of two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography following his arrest last April. The arrest also followed allegations of sexual assault made against him in 2006 and published by In Touch magazine in 2015 and resulting in his family’s hit TLC show being canceled.
Related: Josh Duggar was just dealt a potential death blow in his child porn case
Now, People reports that testimony by Duggar’s father, Jim Bob Duggar, and family friend, Bobye Holt, appears to once again confirm the 2006 allegations. It also reveals that Josh molested other young girls–including his own sisters–much earlier than previously reported and that his family knew about it but did not alert authorities.
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Holt, whose daughter dated Josh in 2002 and 2003, told the court that Jim Bob called her and her husband his home on March 30, 2003 to discuss “what Josh had done.” Upon arrival, the Holts learned that Josh had confessed to touching the breasts and genitals of four young girls, including one earlier that day in a Bible study. She said Jim Bob also told them that Josh had inappropriately touched younger girls before.
“From when he told me … it started at [age] 12 until March 30, 2003,” Holt told the court.
She also testified to another incident in the Holt home where Josh fondled a sleeping girl. The girl in question woke up and hit him then alerted her. When she tried to tell Josh’s parents, they refused to listen.
“I went to go tell Jim Bob and Michelle but they said they didn’t want to hear it,” Holt said, adding, “People began to be aware.”
Jim Bob Duggar, who is currently running for Arkansas State Senate, then took the stand to testify that Josh first admitted to molesting a young girl in 2002. When pressed for details, he claimed he couldn’t remember the exact circumstances or specifics of each incident beyond “inappropriate touching.”
“It’s been like 18, 19 years ago,” he said under examination. “We tried to handle things in-house. It was a very difficult time in our family’s life.”
Jim Bob also said that he enrolled Josh in a treatment program in 2003 to address his predatory urges and even took his son to interview with Arkansas State Police, who recorded his 2006 confession. That report would later come to light nine years later when obtained by In Touch.
When the report emerged in court this week, Jim Bob to protested, “I’m not gonna allow it! Are you gonna allow for that?” To which Judge Timothy L. Brooks reminded him that has a witness he had no right to object.
Josh’s attorneys have argued that neither of his previous confessions, nor Jim Bob Duggar or Bobbye Holt’s testimony, should be allowed into the trial citing religious privilege. The defense argues that because Jim Bob Duggar and Jim Holt were church elders at the time Josh confessed,they should be protected as a type of religious confession.
Judge Books, for his part, seemed skeptical of the argument, pointing out that allegations of child molestation are not protected by a religious exemption and must be reported to the law. He also observed that Bobbye Holt held no position within the church, calling into question the “religious confession” argument.
The trial is set to officially begin today. If convicted on the child pornography charges, Duggar could receive up to 20 years in federal prison and up to $250,000 fine for each count.
Related: Creepy social media post comes back to haunt Josh Duggar just in time for his child porn trial
Cam
“Josh’s attorneys have argued that neither of his previous confessions, nor Jim Bob Duggar or Bobbye Holt’s testimony, should be allowed into the trial citing religious privilege.”
This is what the Republicans/Evangelicals want, to go back to a time when child rape was protected as “religious privilege”
scotty
you mean catholicism esp the clergy. yeah that’s what you meant.
cliche guevara
Finally, Queerty is writing about a “masculine” man that Hank31 can identify with.
bakeembakeem
This overweight pig of a loser must be stopped, clearly damaged by growing up in that strange household, anytime someone’s parents state they don’t wanna hear about it, that’s strange right there
Jaquelope
That’s usually because they already know about it, and don’t want to do anything about it.
Openminded
Do you really have a chance when your daddy’s named Jim Bob?
stonercharles
Just makes ya wonder what his earlier childhood was like… who was his molester??? Onward Xian Warriors…
THAT Steve
I’d have to Google it (and I’m not gonna ’cause I’m exhausted from working in retail for the past five days) but most molested boys don’t become molesting men. There was even an OGN put out by a childhood survivor of abuse who was terrified he was doomed to become one himself and how he was relieved to learn the statistics said he was unlikely to.
James
THE SCUM OF CHRIXTIAN TRASH LOSERS.
Mack
He might get off. It’s in Fayetteville and his daddy and Huckleberry have strong ties there-you know the right wing “Christians”.
Kangol2
This man’s behavior is sickening, as is that of his parents! He was groping and abusing girls as a child, was not gotten adequate psychological help, continued to abuse girls, including his own sisters, and now his lawyers want to find a way to exonerate this monster. Seriously, I don’t care how “Christian” and devout he and his parents claim to be, they need to be behind bars for this crap. He also needs to get treatment ASAP because based on his past behavior, he’ll likely abuse underage girls again!
Essie
And he has two or three daughters. What about them? That crazy-ass wife of his has announced that she won’t divorce him so who will keep those little girls safe? He should go to jail for at least 10 years (more if possible but at least 10).
THAT Steve
That crazy ass wife is a victim of a culture that withholds knowledge of their rights from women, doesn’t teach them any skills other than housewife, and don’t even tell them that there are even Bible verses that empower them. She’s basically in jail cell disguised as a marriage.
Openminded
IMO, lawyers who attempt to get people like this off are equally as bad as their clients. I know one is supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty but cases like these have too much damning evidence to even insult the court with a claim of “not guilty”. At the most, any respectable person should be telling their client there is no denying guilt but that they will work on lessening the punishment.
John
How is Josh Duggar LGBT-related content? He’s constantly being posted on here and it’s really offensive.
mailliw110
You aren’t gay, so why are you here?
Dijonaise
It’s because these inbred hillbilly trash can’t stop talking about how “evil” us gays are and yet they are a bunch of sister touching, cousin f$cking trash that should not be casting stones.
Jim
I don’t. know why but I find those that cover-up the abuse are more an abomination then the abuser.