Reality TV Personality, Anti-Porn Crusader and Sex Offender Josh Duggar Attempts to Overturn Conviction

Reality TV Personality, Anti-Porn Crusader and Sex Offender Josh Duggar Attempts to Overturn Conviction

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Lawyers for Josh Duggar — the former reality TV personality, anti-porn lobbyist and convicted sex offender — are attempting to overturn his conviction for downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM), on procedural technicalities.

As XBIZ reported, Duggar, who served as executive director of Family Research Council Action, the political arm of the FRC, was found guilty of the CSAM charge by a federal jury in Arkansas in December 2021 and later sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Duggar’s attorneys claimed during his Feb. 16 appeal that the Arkansas district court applied an unconstitutional test, that expert testimony regarding metadata was misclassified as lay testimony, and that the incriminating CSAM found on the anti-porn crusader’s phone should be struck because he was “interrogated outside the presence of his attorney after law enforcement had physically taken his phone from his hand when he was attempting to contact his counsel.”

Prior to his work for the Family Research Council, Duggar was known for his role on TLC’s "19 Kids and Counting," a reality show highlighting his extended family. TLC canceled the show in 2015 after it was revealed that Duggar had molested members of his family and a babysitter.

Before the May 2022 sentencing, prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence of 20 years due to “the sadistic nature of some of the material” Duggar had downloaded.

The sentencing memo by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts described Duggar — who actively campaigned against legal, consensual, adult pornography for the well-funded FRC lobby — as having “a deep-seated, pervasive and violent sexual interest in children.”

The Arkansas trial also exposed the failure of for-profit, religiously inspired "porn filter" Covenant Eyes, a business highly ballyhooed by anti-porn crusaders trying to reroute state funds to bankroll private religious corporations to fight a supposed "public health crisis" around porn.

During a May 2021 detention hearing, an investigator reported that Covenant Eyes "was unable to detect Duggar's internet usage after a password-protected network was installed on his computer."

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FSC Publishes Analysis of Federal Trade Commission Event Promoting AV

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an analysis of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) event held this week that promoted age verification among other forms of speech regulation.

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pineapple Support to Host Wellness Sessions at Bucharest Summit

Pineapple Support is hosting free group and one-on-one therapy sessions at Bucharest Summit, June 3-5.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

ASACP Highlights Study on Parental Controls

The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) is highlighting the results of a study on the underutilization of parental controls.

Sydney Screams Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Sydney Screams has launched her new membership site, SydneyScreams.xxx, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Mistress Mystii Is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for June

LoyalFans has named Mistress Mystii as its Featured Creator for June.

Show More