Exclusive Interview! Derick Dillard Reveals Duggar Family Reaction to Josh's Child Porn Arrest
April 30 2021, Updated 2:31 p.m. ET
Josh Duggar's child porn arrest stunned the world, including his brother-in-law Derick Dillard, RadarOnline.com has learned. In an exclusive interview from Arkansas, Dillard — who is married to Josh's sister, Jill — revealed how the family is coping — and whether they saw this day coming.
"We were surprised," Dillard, 32, told RadarOnline.com exclusively of yesterday's news that Duggar, 33, was arrested by federal authorities on charges of child porn possession.
He continued, "This is a very sad time for our family. That's our only comment at this time."
As RadarOnline.com reported, Duggar was arrested in Arkansas on April 29 and held without bail in the Washington County Jail.
On the morning of Friday, April 30, he was charged in federal court with two counts of child porn possession. The father of six (with one on the way) is being accused of downloading child sexual abuse material, some of which allegedly showed children under the age of 12. He allegedly was found to be in possession of such material in May 2019.
If convicted, Duggar could serve up to 20 years of prison, and may face charges of $250,000 per count. He will remain in jail until his next hearing on May 5, after which he may possibly be released on bail to a home "without minors," the court stipulated.
This isn't Duggar's first run-in with the law. As RadarOnline.com reported, Duggar was investigated by the Springdale Police Department in 2015 regarding allegations that he inappropriately touched five girls who were minors. The victims were alleged to include four of his sisters and a babysitter.
Duggar was a minor at the time, but no known charges were filed because the statute of limitations had expired by the time the investigation was launched.
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In a statement, Duggar admitted his wrongdoing: "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. 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."
Did that counseling work? More details to come in the court case. Stay with RadarOnline.com for the latest.
