Josh Duggar’s Lawyers Trying to Pin Child Pornography Charge on Someone Else

Josh Duggar’s lawyers recently filed legal motions to have his child pornography charges thrown out, and, among the details, it has emerged that they are attempting to put blame on someone else. According to Insider, the former reality TV star’s defense has accused federal investigators of not properly preserving evidence stemming from a 2019 raid and search on Duggar’s used car lot in Arkansas. Among the claims, the attorneys state that an employee of the lot had admitted to watching pornography while on the job.

The individual has only been referred to in court and legal documents as Witness #1, so far, and was considered a person of interest but not a suspect by investigators. The individual was questioned by authorities roughly a month after federal officers carried a search warrant on Duggar’s car lot. The witness claimed to have viewed pornography on his cell phone, while on company property, but stated that he did not use the office computer. The witness also confessed to staying on overnight without Duggar’s permission. Investigators did a search of the individual’s cell phone and came up with “negative results” regarding illegal content.

The former 19 Kids and Counting star was taken into custody by sheriffs in Arkansas on April 28, with no word on the cause of the arrest at the time. The following day he was transferred to the custody of U.S. Marshals and formally charged with possession of child pornography. Duggar pleaded “not guilty” to the charges and remained in custody until a bond hearing.

Duggar has since been released on bond and is staying with a family friend. He is prohibited from having contact with minors, other than his own children. The father-of-six is reportedly allowed “unlimited contact” with his kids, however, his wife — who is currently pregnant with the couple’s seventh child — must be present for the visits. His trial is set to begin in November.

Duggar has not commented on his arrest nor the charges he faces at this time, but his lawyers previously issued a joint statement on his charges. “Josh Duggar has been charged in a two-count indictment. He has pled not guilty to both charges and we intend to defend this case aggressively and thoroughly,” they said. “In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime. But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom — and that is exactly what Josh intends to do.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.