Former TLC Star Josh Duggar Sentenced to 12 Years in Child Porn Case

19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar was sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison on Wednesday on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography.

Arkansas TV station KNWA reports that the former TLC star was sentenced to 151 months by Judge Timothy L. Brooks. The prosecution sought the maximum sentence of 20 years, arguing that Duggar has a "deep-seated, pervasive and violent sexual interest in children." Duggar's defense team sought 5 years, but maintained his innocence and plan to appeal the verdict.

Duggar's family was the focus of one of TLC's most successful reality shows, 19 Kids and Counting, which centered on his large and extremely religious family. TLC canceled the show in 2015 following molestation allegations against Duggar by four of his sisters and a babysitter that worked for the family. Duggar and his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle, publicly confirmed the crime and apologized, claiming Duggar had a pornography addiction. It was argued in his sentencing memorandum that the molestation allegations provided "an alarming window into the extent of his sexual interest in children that the Court should consider at sentencing."

In April 2021, Duggar was arrested for possession of child pornography. Two years prior, federal agents executed a search warrant at a car dealership owned by Duggar and seized electronic devices and evidence, including a video file that Special Agent Gerald Faulkner referred to as "the top five of the worst of the worst that I've ever had to examine." He was convicted in December 2021.

Kirstie Renae is a writer, blogger, and Austin-based actress with a penchant for binge-watching TV with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter @KirstieRenae.