Josh Duggar of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting admits to molestation

Josh Duggar Confirms Teen Molestation Reports



Josh Duggar of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting has confirmed to People that in 2006, as a teenager, he molested several underage girls—including some of his sisters. Duggar also announced that he will resign as executive director of the Family Research council.

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” Duggar said in a statement to People.

“I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”

A police report was filed in 2006, but, because the statute of limitations had passed by the time allegations were formally made, Duggar avoided prosecution.

http://gawker.com/josh-duggar-confirms-teen-molestation-reports-1706150395

 

Montel Williams is furious, rightfully so

Montel Williams
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@Montel_Williams

BREAKING: Josh Duggar, a world class bigot, admits sexually abusing young girls - has consistently stated that LGBT folks r danger to kids
7:12 PM - 21 May 2015

327 327 Retweets
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Montel Williams
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@Montel_Williams

Gosh, yet another anti-gay alleged "Christian" defender turns out to be a garden variety scumbag. https://twitter.com/montel_williams/status/601525980780462080 …
7:14 PM - 21 May 2015

52 52 Retweets
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Montel Williams
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@Montel_Williams

Sorry, Josh Duggar is a bigot, slimebag. Whole family is, and FRC is a scam. Yup, Gay people are the danger to kids? NOPE, JOSH DUGGAR IS
7:23 PM - 21 May 2015

Dan Freeman @Mulder24

Can't you find room in your heart to forgive Josh Duggar? https://twitter.com/Montel_Williams/status/601528688174301184 …

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Montel Williams
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@Montel_Williams

@Mulder24 when @joshduggar makes amends to the #lgbt community for his faux-Christian hypocrisy I'll be pleased to do so. #Hypocrite
7:29 PM - 21 May 2015

7 7 Retweets
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Jeremy Hooper @goodasyou

Wow. Tell us how u really feel, Montel https://twitter.com/Montel_Williams/status/601528688174301184 …

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Montel Williams
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@Montel_Williams

@goodasyou How do u preach gay people are "danger to kids" KNOWING and lying about sexually assaulting kids urself & not b what I called him
7:32 PM - 21 May 2015

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A whack job religious fundamentalist who likes to lecture others about their morals is actually a sexual deviant?

 

nasty

 

And what's worse is that the family was all about how important it was for his sisters (he molested) to forgive him. Never mind getting the girls help to overcome the trauma of their brother molesting them.

The "counseling" he received was very questionable as well.

I recently read something about this family and their "religion" and the camp that some of the girls went to where there was known molestation going on by "church leaders".

 

I was never molested, but I know my family wants me to forgive my dad for being a total deadbeat

Which is funny because none of them ever treated him like shit for what he's done, or stepped in to help me

They act as if nothing happened all those years...I guess the bond between siblings is greater than the bond between nieces and nephews

 

Organized religion is still one of the most patriarchal institutions that exist. Women are to be seen and not heard because they're just supposed to stay barefoot and pregnant. Besides, his sisters are girls and that means that he isn't gay. 'Murica! :smt066

 

Well it's kinda hard to argue with the bible..........at least when it comes to that anyway

I mean come on....'our heavenly FATHER'

 

Well I was, and I totally get the idea of forgiveness, and I forgave. But that is NOT for anyone but the victim to decide, nor does it mean that everything is forgotten.

As for family, I can relate....I was ostracized and they are still a welcome part of the family. People can be really cruel.

Don't you know you should just "get over it" and "get on with your life"?

 

I have to wonder if he might have also molested his little brothers too.

He has his own children now too.

 

The problem is that until adults start telling the truth and standing up for children and protecting them, it's not going to change. Adults are supposed to be taking care of children, not hurting them.

 

Exactly. A lot of denominations don't even allow female clergy.

Man, my grammar is pretty horrible early in the morning.

Oh wow, I had no idea! It really is sad that you were the one that was ostracized even though you didn't do anything wrong. That is not how things are supposed to work when it comes to children.

 

Yep basically once it alllllllll came out (there was stuff all along that was right out in the open) and I cut all ties with my mom and her husband, I had no family connection. Even my aunt (my mom's sister) who did talk to me and say how badly she felt and how she wanted to stay connected went and stayed with them and had them around her grandkids, as if nothing had happened.

I don't think my experience is unique. I think that's how it often plays out. It could be because many of them have also been abused and can't face/deal with it.

It's sortof like - ok fall back in line or you don't exist. People don't like their system (no matter how f'd up and dysfunctional) rattled.

Think about it though....most victims are fiercely loyal and defend their perpetrators because they have been brain washed to believe it's their own fault.

 

This is the biggest piece that I see so many missing. As far as I'm concerned he's a sexual predator. An apology doesn't change that. I Wouldn't feel comfortable with him around my kids that's for damn sure

 

yep exactly

There's no solid evidence that sexual predators can be treated with any real success rate. And that's with actual rigorous treatment programs. This guy didn't even have real counseling.

And "forgiving" doesn't mean inviting or enabling them to continue

 

I have seen this a lot. And it's sad how child molestation can literally split families down the middle.

I don't have any kids of my own but if had a child and they told me that they were molested, it would be impossible for me not to side with my own child.

 

Which raises another question: what kind of treatment, if any, did his victims receive? If it's anything like what Josh got, it probably wasn't worth a damn. And how fucked up is it that his sisters had to stay in the same household as their brother who was molesting them?

 

From what I've been able to find....they haven't received anything. Other than that their dad talked to them about how important it is for them to forgive him. I am looking for the thing I read before about the camp some of the girls went to (may have been camp counselors) where there was also molestation by church leaders and how they "dealt" with it.

Here's a story about the Josh stuff:

In Touch Weekly published investigative documents obtained from the Arkansas’ Springdale Police Department via a Freedom of Information Act request, which revealed the disturbing allegations against Josh. The website had previously reported that Josh was allegedly involved in an underage sex scandal. Josh Duggar’s family is featured on TLC’s hit reality show 19 Kids and Counting. Josh had worked as a lobbyist for the Family Research Council, where he spoke out against same-sex marriage and legislation to prevent discrimination against LGBT people, but has resigned. He has three children with his wife Anna, who is pregnant with their fourth child.
TLC has canceled all airing of “19 Kids and Counting” as the network ponders the show’s long0term future.
Now 27 years of age, Josh appears to have escaped prosecution thanks to a three-year statute of limitations.
“A technicality prevented any further action,” a source told In Touch Weekly. “That’s been the biggest regret in all of this.”
According to the police report obtained by In Touch Weekly, Josh’s father Jim Bob admitted to authorities that his son had confessed to touching girls inappropriately in 2002. He was about 14-years-old at the time.
“When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before,” Jim Bob wrote Thursday in a Facebook post addressing the allegations.
“Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God. We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles everyday. It is one of the reasons we treasure our faith so much because God’s kindness and goodness and forgiveness are extended to us — even though we are so undeserving,” he added.
The family did not initially contact the authorities, and police began investigating in 2006 due to a complaint. The family was scheduled to appear on Oprah, but someone sent an email to Harpo warning that Josh had molested girls and the family had been “hiding this secret for a long time.” Harpo forwarded the email to the Arkansas State Police child abuse hotline.
The Springdale Police Department report says Josh was accused of fondling the “breasts and vaginas” of multiple minors “when they were sleeping” and sometimes when they were awake. Jim Bob said that Josh had been “disciplined” for his actions.
Jim Bob, a former Arkansas state representative and member of the patriarchal Quiverfull movement, met with leaders of his church after the incidents. Together they decided to send Josh to a “program [that] consisted of hard physical work and counseling,” according to the report.
His mother Michelle told police that the program “was not really a training center.” Josh was actually working for a family friend who remodeled homes.
Jim Bob instructed his son to meet with Arkansas State Trooper Jim Hutchens in 2003. The officer reportedly gave Josh Duggar a “very stern talk,” but took no official action. Hutchens is currently serving out a 56-year prison sentence for child pornography.

During the 2006 investigation, multiple victims testified to police that Josh Duggar had sexually molested them. The report said some of the underage victims lived with Jim Bob and Michelle, indicating they were his siblings.
Josh Duggar apologized to the girls he had sexually assaulted, according to the report. The family told police that the girls had “forgiven” him. One victim told police that Josh “sought after God and had turned back to God.”
Jim Bob Duggar reported to officers that, “several members of their church were aware of the situation and had been supportive of the family.”
Josh said in a statement on Facebook: “I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life. I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God’s grace, mercy and redemption.”

 

Here's more on the supposed treatment he received:

His father, Jim Bob Duggar, knew about these accusations as early as March of 2002… but didn’t do anything about it until March of 2003.
At that point, he didn’t go to the police. He went to his church leaders.

James said that after these incidents, he had met with the elders of his church and had told them what was going on. James said that they all agreed that [Josh] needed to be put into a treatment program. James said that one of the elders was a chaplain at the Piney Ridge program at Vista Hospital. James said that they had concerns about the program at Piney Ridge because they felt [Josh] might be exposed to other offenders and other things that they did not want his him exposed to. James said that one of the elders was an ex-prison guard and told them that some of the programs for juveniles were finishing schools where juveniles learned how to offend from other offenders. James said that they found out about a Christian program in Little Rock which they felt more comfortable with. James said that he could not remember the name of the program, but that it was conducted by a Christian ministry in the old Veterans Hospital in Little Rock and the man who ran it was Harold Walker. James said that he thought that the program was affiliated with the Little Rock Police Department since they had a station in the same building. James said that the program consisted of hard physical work and counseling. James said that [Josh] was in the program from March 17, 2003 until July 17, 2003.




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