It’s been over three months since Josh Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography, but his days in court are far from over.
Josh’s sentencing hearing is set for April 5, and while the judge will likely adhere to guidelines and give Duggar considerably less than the 20 years he could receive, the day is likely to be filled with drama.
That’s because Josh will be joined by members of his family, several of whom will likely make statements to the judge on his behalf.
Those comments will be weighed alongside victim impact statements from those who were harmed by Josh’s predatory behavior.
Of course, the two sides cannot be neatly divided into separate categories, as Josh victimized several members of his own family.
Long before the crimes that finally landed him in prison, Josh molested five young girls, four of whom were his sisters.
It’s not clear at this time if any of them will speak at the sentencing hearing.
And then, of course, there’s Josh’s biggest defender, who will almost certainly take the stand on his behalf, despite the fact that she’s suffered mightily through her association with him.
We’re talking, of course, about Josh’s wife, Anna Duggar.
Throughout her husband’s trial, the mother of seven was a subject of widespread disagreement regarding her role in her family’s many scandals.
Some believe that Anna is one of Josh’s victims, while others insist that she was complicit in his crimes.
Whatever the case, she’s mostly kept silent in the months since her husband was convicted.
Anna’s most recent Instagram post appeared on February 3, and while the statement she made was vague, it served to confirm that she still believes Josh is innocent.
“There’s more to the story,” she wrote, alongside a link to court documents.
During the trial, Anna reportedly believed that Josh had been framed by those who wished to see him imprisoned for political reasons.
It’s unclear if she still thinks that’s the case, but according to a recent report from Yahoo! News, Anna still has the full support of
“I know the family and their faith is what will get them through anything, period,” one insider told the outlet.
“Even if they don’t like what he did or what he was accused and charged with and found guilty of, they’ll always stay by him. It doesn’t mean they think it’s OK, but they’re always going to want him to grow and be able to get through it,” the source continued.
“They’re never going to abandon him or anybody in that case.”
The insider went on to say that the Duggars view Josh’s ordeal as a test of their faith, and they believe that being targeted for political reasons is the price of spreading their message to so many.
“I know the family and their faith is what will get them through anything, period. Even if they don’t like what he did or what he was accused and charged with and found guilty of, they’ll always stay by him,” says the source.
“It doesn’t mean they think it’s ok, but they’re always going to want him to grow and be able to get through it. They’re never going to abandon him or anybody in that case.”
Anna’s parents have been suspiciously silent on the matter of their son being convicted on child pornography charges.
The source notes that Anna’s father often visits prisons to preach to the inmates.
“He goes in and teaches and talks and leads people who are in the prison system who want to grow and want to change their lives,” the insider said.
So clearly, Anna’s dad believes in redemption for those who have broken the law.
But it’s worth noting that even other prisoners look at child sex offenders as the lowest of the low.
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