Josh Duggar's Brother Jason Speaks out in Support of Josh Following 12-Year Prison Sentence
Jason "Jase" Duggar is speaking out after his older brother Josh Duggar was sentenced to federal prions following a child pornography conviction. In a statement posted to his Instagram Story on Thursday, Duggar revealed his mixed emotions about his brother's 12-year prison sentence, sharing that despite his brother's "wrongdoings," he will "never stop loving" him.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks on Wednesday sentenced the 34-year-old Josh, who previously appeared on 19 Kids and Counting, to 151 months in federal prison after he was convicted of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse materials in December 2021. In his statement Thursday, Duggar shared that he believed the judge "was fair in his ruling giving Josh a sentence that would be considered below the median for the crimes he has committed."
Duggar went on to express the pain he feels at his brother's actions, writing that his "heart is grieved over the choices my brother has made" and Josh's "actions do not reflect that of a Christian believer and have doubtlessly defamed my Lord and Saviors name!!" He added that his brother's "poor decisions have greatly effected [sic] those around him, in particular his wife, seven children and our family as a whole." Josh shares seven children with his wife Anna. The couple welcomed their seventh child, a daughter, in early November, just weeks before the former TLC star's trial began.
"With that said, I will never stop loving my brother, regardless of what he does, just as my savior has forgiven me so I have forgiven my brother of his wrongdoings!" Duggar concluded his message. "My prayer is that God will use this circumstance to truly humble him and bring about a true change in his life!"
In addition to prison time, Josh was also fined $10,000 and will be on 20-year supervised release after completing his sentence. The TLC alum will be required to participate in a sex offender treatment program, prohibited from unsupervised contact with minors, and prohibited from using a computer or any device with internet without approval as well as marijuana. Court documents also revealed that following his release from prison, Josh will be unable to have unsupervised visits with his seven children. The sentencing came after Duggar in December was found guilty of two charges of knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography. Ahead of the Wednesday sentencing, however, and with the agreement of both the defense and prosecution, the court vacated the conviction on count 2 without prejudice. He had been facing up to 20 years of imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines total for each conviction.