Josh Duggar's Sentencing Hearing in His Child Pornography Case Pushed to Late May

Josh Duggar's sentencing hearing in his child pornography case has been delayed.

PEOPLE can confirm that Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court granted Duggar's request to push back the hearing for his sentencing, which was originally scheduled for April 5. The 34-year-old's new date has been set for May 25.

The move comes after Duggar's legal team requested to delay his conviction by approximately 30 days, according to court documents filed on March 18 and obtained by PEOPLE.

"The defense would benefit from a brief continuance to provide additional time to pursue additional information and documentation," the document states.

"Additionally, because of certain reasonable COVID-19 precautions understandably instituted at the jail at which Duggar is being detained, it has been more difficult scheduling meetings with Duggar than during more ordinary times," the record continues. "Finally, while defense counsel can and would be available for the current sentencing date, certain scheduling issues arising out of unrelated cases would be more easily resolved if this Court were to grant the requested continuance."

Duggar was arrested in April 2021 for receiving and possessing child pornography. In December, he was found guilty on two charges for knowingly obtaining and owning the material. He faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines for the crime.

Clay Fowlkes, acting United States attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, previously referred to the sentencing phase as an "elaborate process" governed by a number of guidelines that officials say can take months.

Most notably, a pre-sentence report by probation officials will be put together.

Fowlkes told PEOPLE that report — including information about the defendant's past convictions (if any), the level of their offense (on a numerical scale), victim impact and so on — will be issued ahead of the sentencing hearing.

Judge Brooks, who presided over the two-week trial, will ultimately hand down Duggar's sentence.

At the time of Duggar's verdict, many of his family members reacted to the news, including his sister Jill (Duggar) Dillard and her husband Derick Dillard.

"Today was difficult for our family. Our hearts go out to the victims of child abuse or any kind of exploitation," a statement posted on the Dillard family website read.

"We are thankful for the hard work of law enforcement, including investigators, forensic analysts, prosecutors, and all others involved who save kids and hold accountable those responsible for their abuse," their joint statement continued. "Nobody is above the law. It applies equally to everybody, no matter your wealth, status, associations, gender, race, or any other factor. Today, the people of the Western District of Arkansas made that clear in their verdict."

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Duggar's conviction was only the latest in a series of personal scandals that rocked his family: The reality show that first made them all famous was canceled in 2015 after a 2006 police report was released revealing he had been investigated for molesting the four younger girls when he was a boy and teenager.

Later in 2015, Duggar also admitted to having a pornography addiction and being "unfaithful" in his marriage.

A spin-off of 19 Kids and Counting that followed his siblings, called Counting On, was canceled after his arrest on the child pornography charges.