Josh Duggar‘s request to appeal his child pornography conviction has been terminated.
Court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, October 10, indicate that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has upheld Duggar’s conviction following his 2021 trial. A mandate was issued on Thursday, October 5, per the paperwork.
An appeal was filed in October 2022, with Duggar’s lawyer asking for a new trial. During a February hearing, attorney Justin Gelfand alleged Duggar’s phone was seized while he was attempting to contact his legal representation when federal agents raided his place of business ahead of his April 2021 arrest. The court of appeals, however, argued Duggar “voluntarily acquiesced” to questioning.
Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material in December 2021, eight months after his arrest. Throughout his highly publicized trial, he was supported by wife Anna Duggar, with whom he shares seven children. She later attended his sentencing in May 2022, where he was ordered to serve 151 months in prison. (While he was initially expected to be released in August 2032, Us confirmed earlier this year that his sentence was extended until October 2032.)
While many of Josh’s family members have remained tight-lipped about the scandal, others have been outspoken. In January, his sister Jinger Duggar opened up about the aftermath of her brother’s arrest.
“That’s been one of the hardest things,” she exclusively told Us. “It is difficult to even discuss it. What I will say is that I am grateful for the justice system. I’m grateful that justice is being served with my brother.”
Jinger, 29, noted that the difficult situation forced her to “lean harder” on her faith, adding, “My heart just breaks for the victims and their families.”
Josh previously had a brush with the law in 2015 when he was accused of molesting multiple girls as a teen — some of whom were his sisters. That same year, he confessed to cheating on Anna after a data leak from Ashley Madison, a website that catered to people looking for extramarital affairs.
“I will never forget how I felt in that moment,” Jinger exclusively told Us in April 2021. “And I think even everything that happens in our lives — because we’re in the public eye — it makes it more challenging because then it’s not just dealing with these things inwardly, but you have to give an answer to the world. That makes it a much tougher thing to walk through.”
Jinger’s sister Jill Duggar has also publicly shared her perspective on Josh’s latest scandal, but parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have continued to support their eldest son.
“This entire ordeal has been very grievous. … Our hearts and prayers are with anyone who has ever been harmed through [child sexual abuse material],” the couple, who share 19 children, noted in a December 2021 statement, vowing to “surround” Anna and her kids with love. “As parents, we will never stop praying for Joshua, and loving him, as we do all of our children. In each of life’s circumstances, we place our trust in God. He is our source of strength and refuge. Thank you for your prayers.”
