Josh Duggar’s Sentencing: Here’s What Will Happen to Josh Duggar’s Computer
Josh Duggar’s officially sentenced to 151 months in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material on his work computer. There’s been a recent discussion in the court regarding what will happen to that computer. Here’s what Judge Timothy L. Brooks decided — and whether that’s the same as what the defense hoped for.
Why did Josh Duggar only get 12 years in prison? What to know about his sentencing
Josh Duggar’s sentencing determined he would spend 151 months, or about 12.5 years, behind bars for his crimes. The defense fought for a sentence of as little as five years, and the prosecution wanted Josh to receive the full 20 years for the crimes committed. Ultimately, the judge settled on 12.5 years after he dropped one charge. Josh will then go through an additional 20 years of supervision by a parole officer.
According to WRBC, the defense plans on submitting an appeal following sentencing, but U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes believes the judge made the right call. “While this is not the sentence we asked for, this is a lengthy sentence,” he said.
Prosecutors noted in their sentencing memorandum that they believed Josh “has a deep-seated, pervasive, and violent sexual interest in children, and a willingness to act on that interest.” For that reason, they hoped for a more severe sentence.
“There is simply no indication that Duggar will ever take the steps necessary to change this pattern of behavior and address his predilection for minor females,” the prosecutors explained.
Here’s what the judge ruled regarding his computer
Now that Josh Duggar’s sentencing is complete, what happens to his computer that had the child sexual abuse material on it?
The trial determined Josh had partitioned the computer in order to evade accountability software and download the illegal material. Now that sentencing ended, KNWA Fox24 reports Judge Timothy L. Brooks ordered that the computer be forfeited, as it was “property facilitating illegal conduct.” Under the judge’s orders, the court will reportedly enter a “Final Order of Forfeiture.”
How does the defense feel? The news source notes the defense explained they didn’t want the computer back. But they did want the computer preserved as evidence, as they planned to appeal. It’s unclear if forfeiting the computer will impact the defense’s appeal plans.
What exactly did Josh Duggar have on his computer?
As stated before, evidence showed Josh Duggar partitioned the computer in his workplace to get around Covenant Eyes. The accountability software would show his wife, Anna Duggar, whether he looked at unsavory content on the internet. NBC News notes the computer contained “images of prepubescent children and depictions of sadistic abuse,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Homeland Security special agent Gerald Faulkner spoke during the trial about the findings on the computer. The Sun reports Faulkner said some of the downloads depicting child sexual abuse were “in the top five of the worst of the worst that I’ve ever had to examine.”
After Josh Duggar leaves prison, he has to follow stringent rules while on probation. These rules include zero access to pornography of any kind and monitored time with minors only.
How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.
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