TRIGGER WARNING: This article mentions sensitive topics such as sexual abuse and child abuse.
Josh Duggar, of the hit TLC show “19 Kids and Counting,” was convicted of child sexual abuse following a trial regarding his possession of child pornography. Duggar has a lengthy past of sex crimes, such as reportedly molesting his sisters and soliciting sex work from Ashley Madison, a well known website for people looking for extramarital affairs. In April of 2021, Duggar was arrested by U.S. marshals in Arkansas, after finding images of child sex abuse on his computer.
The Duggar family rose to fame on their television show, in which their large broad was examined. Specifically, their fundamental Chrisitan views were paraded on the show, which gave the American people insight into their presentably wholesome family.
Soft-spoken Michelle was the matriarch of the family, who proudly announces in the show’s introduction she “delivered every one of them.” Jim Bob is the patriarch, who has a sub-par involvement in Arkansas’s political scene, where he preaches the ideals of his church and generally conservative viewpoints that clearly violate the concept of separation of church and state. Jim Bob’s political career inspired Josh, who worked for the controversial lobbying group, the Family Research Council.
The Duggar’s follow the practices of the Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP), which is a baptist group that focuses on traditionalism and conservatism in the home. This led the Duggar’s to practice being Quiverfull, which is when parents do not utilize any method of family planning in order to maximize procreation. Most of the adult children in the Duggar family also participate in being Quiverfull, but daughter Jill has spoken out against it.
The IBLP has numerous controversies regarding sexual abuse as well. This institution is often considered a cult, as there are dedicated individuals who will not stray from the teachings, as well as generally abusive leaders.
The Goddard Brother’s are the leaders of the IBLP, and Steve Goddard has groomed and sexually abused many of the young clerical workers in the church. This scandal goes completely against the teaching within the IBLP, yet there are still thousands of believers, including the Duggar Family. If you are looking for more information about the IBLP and their methods of abuse, the podcast Some Place Under Neith is available on Spotify and gives accurate information regarding the church.
Ultimately, Josh was convicted on charges of child sexual abuse. Many critics were joyous following the conviction, as people believe that his many victims were given justice and religious hypocrisy from Duggar finally being held accountable. However, it is now reported that daughter Jana Duggar has been charged with endangering a minor.
Jana is the eldest Duggar daughter and has been widely credited for raising most of the Duggar children because of their use of the buddy system. The buddy system is when Michelle assigns an older child to a younger child, and the older child is in charge of taking care of the child, while Michelle is recovering from childbirth and nursing the youngest children.
Although there is little information regarding the charges against Jana, it seems she put a young child in danger in Arkansas. This allegation came as a shock, as it is on the heels of Josh’s conviction, and lends further curiosity as to what is really happening in the Duggar Home.