When Will Josh Duggar Be Sentenced Following His Guilty Verdicts? It Won't Be Long Now

The Duggar family made their network television debut on 19 Kids and Counting in 2008, only years after Josh Duggar confessed to molesting several underage girls, including his sisters. The allegations came to light in 2015 in a report published by Us Weekly that marked the beginning of the end for Josh’s reality TV career.

The same year, Josh confessed that he had pursued extramarital relationships online and checked into a long-term treatment center. But it wasn’t long before Josh made headlines, yet again. In April 2021, the reality star was arrested on child pornography charges, and months later, Josh had his day in court.

Despite pleading not guilty, he was convicted of two charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. But when will Josh Duggar be sentenced? Read on for details about the case.

Josh’s court date was originally set for July 6, 2021, but was later pushed back to Nov. 30 of the same year. Ahead of his trial, Josh’s lawyers fought to suppress evidence and get his case dismissed. However, their efforts were unsuccessful.

The trial lasted six days, with counselors delivering their closing arguments on Dec. 8, 2021. The jury submitted their verdict a day later and determined that Josh was guilty on two counts of child pornography.

The father of seven could serve up to 20 years in prison and receive a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks originally set a sentencing date for Duggar for April 5, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.

However, following Josh's legal counsel's claims of scheduling conflicts and limited client meetings due to COVID-19 protocols, they requested an extension on the sentencing date. It was granted, and now, Josh will be sentenced on May 25, 2022.

In late 2019, Homeland Security raided Josh’s used car dealership lot in Springdale, Ark., as part of an “ongoing investigation.” According to officials, Josh downloaded pornographic images that were flagged by a local police officer and traced back to his IP address soon after.

The subsequent investigation resulted in a slew of incriminating evidence. According to Homeland Security Agent Gerald Faulkner, the files on Josh’s computer were "in the top five of the worst of the worst” cases he’s had to review in his career.

During Josh’s trial, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar stood alongside his wife, Anna Duggar. Following his conviction, his parents released a joint statement to Us Weekly that read, "This entire ordeal has been very grievous."

"Today, God’s grace, through the love and prayers of so many, have sustained us. Our hearts and prayers are with anyone who has ever been harmed through [child sexual abuse material]," the statement continued. "As parents, we will never stop praying for Joshua, and loving him, as we do all of our children."

Following the verdict, Josh's younger sister Joy-Anna Forsyth and her husband, Austin Forsyth, released a statement in their Instagram stories on their respective accounts. They shared that they were in agreement "with the judicial system's verdict" and were "thankful for the men and women who work tirelessly to protect children and help prevent child sexual abuse material."

Jinger Vuolo, another one of Josh's younger sisters, and her husband Jeremy Vuolo, released their own statement after the guilty verdict was read.

"We are saddened for the victims of horrific child abuse," the statement read. "We are also saddened for Josh's family, his wife, and precious children. We are saddened for the dishonor this has brought upon Christ's name. Josh claims to be a Christian. When a professing follower of Jesus is exposed as a hypocrite, the response of many will be to challenge the integrity of Jesus himself."