Former 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar was taken into custody on federal child pornography charges in Arkansas on Thursday.
According to CNN, the reality star has been charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. In a statement, the U.S. attorney’s office said Duggar allegedly downloaded material that depicted the sexual abuse of minor children under the age of 12 in May of 2019.
Duggar pleaded not guilty to the charges in a virtual court appearance on Friday. He is facing up to $250,000 in fines and 20 years in prison if convicted.
The former reality star has had his fair share of controversies over the years.
In 2015, 19 Kids and Counting was canceled by TLC after Duggar was accused of molesting five girls when he was a teenager. No charges were filed against him for those allegations. Then, later in 2015, his name was released when the website Ashley Madison, which helps married people cheat on their spouse, was hacked. He admitted to using the website and apologized.
“We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time. The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious. It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner. We love Josh and Anna and continue to pray for their family,” Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar said in a joint statement on their website.
Duggar’s arrest comes just days after his wife, Anna Duggar, announced she is pregnant with the couple’s seventh child.
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