Josh Duggar Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges of Possessing Child Pornography

The former reality star was arrested in Arkansas on Thursday.

Josh Duggar has pleaded not guilty to receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children.

One day after the 33-year-old former reality star was arrested in Washington County, Arkansas, Duggar and his attorney appeared via Zoom for a hearing.

During the hearing, Duggar's attorney told the court that he and his client are waiving the right to have the charges read out loud in court. Following the hearing, though, court docs obtained by ET revealed his charges.

According to the docs, in May 2019, Duggar allegedly used the internet to download the material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under 12. If convicted, Duggar faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 on each count.

The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Duggar, who wore a gray prison outfit during the hearing, will remain in custody until May 5, when a detention hearing to seek bond will be held.

A pretrial hearing is set for July 1, while the trial is scheduled to begin on July 6.

In a statement to ET, Duggar's lawyers, 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."

ET confirmed Duggar's arrest on Thursday. Following Duggar's arrest, his sister, Jill, and her husband, Derek Dillard, exclusively told ET, "We just learned this information. It is very sad."

Duggar, who recently announced that he's expecting his seventh child with his wife, Anna, was previously investigated by Springdale, Arkansas, police regarding allegations that he inappropriately touched five girls who were minors when he was 14. According to multiple reports, no charges were filed against him because the statute of limitations, which was three years at the time, had expired by the time of the 2006 investigation. 

"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," he said in a statement at the time. "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."

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