Josh Duggar Prohibited from Living with Minors If Released on Bond amid Child Pornography Case

Josh Duggar, of 19 Kids and Counting fame, has been charged with receiving and possessing child pornography

Josh Duggar will not be allowed to return to his Arkansas home with wife Anna Duggar and their six kids, should he be awarded bail in his child pornography case, a judge said on Friday.

Josh, of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting fame, appeared at a hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas via Zoom, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where he was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty. (His attorneys declined to have the judge read out the charges against him.)

During the hearing, U.S Chief Magistrate Judge Erin L. Wiedemann said that if Josh is released on bond from an Arkansas detention center where he is currently being held, the 33-year-old will have to be "in a residence where there's no minor in the home."

When the judge asked Josh, "Do you understand what you've been charged with?" he replied, "Yes, your honor."

In a statement after the hearing, Duggar's attorneys Justin Gelfand, Travis W. Story and Greg Payne said, "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. 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."

Josh was arrested by Homeland Security on Thursday, a representative for the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.

The reality star, whose wife is currently pregnant with their seventh child, has faced various controversies since entering the public eye with his family on their TLC reality series.

Listen below to the episode of our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for more on Josh Duggar.

Most notable, in mid-May 2015, Josh — the oldest of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's 19 kids — apologized for his "wrongdoing" after a 2006 police report revealed that he had been investigated as a teen for inappropriately touching five underage girls. His sisters Jill, 29, and Jessa, 28, subsequently stepped forward as two of the victims.

Eight of Josh's siblings have families of their own, including Jill, who reacted to his arrest in a statement to PEOPLE, saying, "We just found out this information yesterday. It is very sad."

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

Updated by
Elaine Aradillas
Elaine Aradillas is a former senior staff writer PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2023.

Related Articles