Jim Bob Duggar’s sister demands Josh ‘get psychological help’ in prison & insists he’s ‘guilty’ of ‘heartbreaking’ crime
JIM Bob Duggar’s sister has demanded her nephew Josh “get psychological help” in prison and insisted he’s “guilty” of the heartbreaking crimes. Josh, 34, was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for receiving child pornography on May 25 after he was found guilty of the crime back in December. In an exclusive interview with The […]
JIM Bob Duggar’s sister has demanded her nephew Josh “get psychological help” in prison and insisted he’s “guilty” of the heartbreaking crimes.
Josh, 34, was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for receiving child pornography on May 25 after he was found guilty of the crime back in December.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Jim Bob’s sister Deanna revealed her thoughts for the first time on her oldest nephew’s shocking crimes.
Deanna said: “I think he’s guilty. I think he should get some help to really find out what is going on. Find out what caused all this and get the psychological help he needs.
“My father had serious mental issues. It could’ve been passed down to Josh. I do not know.”
Before the April 2021 arrest for possessing and receiving child pornography, Josh was involved in a molestation scandal when he was around 15 years old.
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Josh molested five underage females in the family home in a police report dated 2006 that was released to the public in 2015.
Months later, he was caught on the adultery website Ashley Madison and admitted to having an addiction to pornography.
Deanna, who has appeared on the family’s reality shows, said of the scandals: “I was very shocked about everything that has happened. I was told some different things. It’s a really complicated situation when you’re told one thing and something else happens.
“I was watching our local news and we heard that homeland security stopped by Josh’s car lot. I called one of the family members and I asked if it was true and they said, ‘No, they just stopped by.’ Homeland Security doesn’t just stop by.
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“I tried to make sense of it. What in the world is going on? I was told it was an ex-con [who downloaded the child pornography.] I kept trying to figure it out. They had too much evidence against my nephew. It breaks my heart because I don’t understand his thinking.”
Deanna chose to skip the sentencing, as she said it would be “too hard” for her to attend.
FAMILY FALL OUT
The singer is no longer on speaking terms with her brother and sister-in-law Michelle, as she hasn’t spoken to them since Josh’s arrest.
She said she and Jim Bob once had an “awesome” and “great” relationship.
When asked if she believes they will mend their relationship in the future, she responded: “I want everyone to get along. We’ll have to see on that one. I don’t know.”
JOSH’S SENTENCING
Honorable Judge Timothy L Brooks sentenced Josh to 151 months in prison on May 25.
According to The Sun’s court reporter, Josh appeared stoic as he received his sentence, which also includes $50,100 in fines.
As he read his decision, the judge called Josh’s crimes “the sickest of the sick” to the packed courtroom.
He then said to Josh: “You have done some very bad things. But in your life as a whole, you’ve done good things… The true test of a man’s character is what a man does when no one is watching.”
Referring to Josh’s insistence that he’s innocent, the judge continued: “I find it aggravating about the lack of responsibility.”
Judge Brooks recommended Josh participate in the Bureau of Prison’s sex offender treatment program.
In the molestation police report, Jim Bob told authorities his son was sent to a Christian counseling program where he did “manual labor and had counseling.”
When prosecutors fought for a 20-year sentence on the child pornography charges, they feared Josh would not get the proper counseling and would re-offend again.
Josh remains at Washington County Jail in Arkansas.
He will either be transferred to FCI Seagoville or FCI Texarkana in Texas depending on availability.
LOCK HIM UP
In a previous interview with The Sun, Deanna’s daughter Amy, 35, demanded her fallen family member receive the “harshest sentence” possible.
The oldest Duggar son requested just five years in prison, while the prosecution demanded he receives the maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars.
Amy told The Sun when asked how long she believed her cousin should be sentenced: “There is a bible verse, Luke 17:2. ‘It’s better to hang a millstone over your head and jump into the ocean if you’re going to hurt one of my little ones.’
“I’m sure he’s watched several children get hurt. If the bible says jump in the ocean and drown, how long would that equal in prison?”
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She continued that 20 years in prison “isn’t enough” for her cousin.
She explained: “It’s not justice for the children. There will never be justice for the children. Twenty years isn’t enough.”
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