Josh Duggar, a disgraced reality TV star, had his sentence of 12 and a half years extended by almost two months after authorities found that he had a cellphone smuggled into the prison.
In December 2021, a jury in Arkansas convicted Duggar of receiving and possessing child pornography. This included videos and images of toddlers being sexually abused.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks then sentenced Duggar to more than a dozen years in prison, which he is currently serving at a low-security facility in Seagoville, Texas.
The prosecutors found that on Duggar’s work computer, multiple layers of encryption hid over 600 illicit images, with one video being particularly depraved and titled “Daisy’s Destruction”, depicting the sexual assault of an 18-month-old. This video was created by a human trafficker Peter Scully, an Australian, who is currently serving a life sentence in the Philippines for his crimes.
Though his attorneys dispute the number of images found on his computer, Duggar himself continues to deny the charges against him and is appealing the sentence.
In February, it was reported that prison authorities transferred Duggar to solitary confinement after he was found to have “sneaked” a cellphone into prison.
It is believed that designations to the Special Housing Unit (SHU) often last for months. It is thought that prison authorities acted this way due to the nature of Duggar’s convictions.
Prosecutors say that he went to great lengths to evade detection, such as installing anti-porn software and using the Tor Browser to disguise his web-surfing.
Duggar’s original release date was scheduled for August 12 2032, but this has now been extended to October 2 2032.
Before his demise, Duggar featured with his family in the popular TLC series “19 Kids and Counting”. He had previously been in the news when the Ashley Madison website was hacked, revealing that he had been engaging in extramarital affairs.
It was also reported that he had molested his sisters when they were minors and he was 12. He later apologized for unspecified “wrongdoing”. Prosecutors believe that this was a precursor to his convicted crimes.
Neither the prison, nor Duggar’s trial attorney, responded to requests for comment.