'The Bachelorette' Star Joshua Tylerbest Arrested for Heinous Crime

Joshua Tylerbest, who appeared on The Bachelorette in 2021, was arrested on possession of child pornography charges in Florida. Authorities began investigating Tylerbest after over 50 images of child sexual abuse material were uploaded to a Google account allegedly registered to the former reality TV contestant. Tylerbest took part in Katie Thurston's season and was eliminated during the show's fourth week.

Tylerbest, 27, was arrested in February on 15 counts of possession of sexual performance by a child, according to Miami-Dade court records obtained by WTVJ. The investigation into Tylerbest began after the offensive images were allegedly uploaded to Tylerbest's Google account. Officers executed a search warrant and discovered 15 files on his iPhone that were considered child sexual abuse material, according to the arrest report. Some of the videos police found included children under 10 involved in graphic sex acts, police said.

Tylerbest was arrested and booked. He was later released on a $50,000 bond and pleaded not guilty, reports TMZ. He is scheduled to return to court in June. He was an IT consultant at the time he was on The Bachelorette. After the show, he continued posting photos on Instagram, including pictures with other former contestants. However, Tylerbest deleted his Instagram page about the time he was arrested.

Thurston was a contestant on The Bachelor Season 25, competing for Matt James' heart. She returned to the franchise as the star of The Bachelorette Season 17. The entire season was filmed at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in New Mexico due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the end, Thurston gave her final rose to Blake Moynes. They got engaged but called things off in October 2021. Thurston then began dating former contestant John Hersey, but they split in June 2022. Thurston is now working as a comedian. No one involved in The Bachelor franchise has commented on Tylerbest's arrest yet.

Other Bachelor franchise contestants have run into trouble with the law. In September 2022, James McCoy Taylor, who appeared on The Bachelorette Season 12, was detained in College Station, Texas on a driving while intoxicated charge. The 35-year-old was confronted by a police officer who saw him urinating in a parking garage. The officer allegedly told Taylor not to drive, but he did anyway. He was later arrested before he could leave the parking garage. Taylor was found to have a handgun in his vehicle during the incident, so he was also charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon. Police also said an 18-year-old "impaired" college student was with him. He was released on a $7,000 bond, KBTX reported. 

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.