Jim Bob Duggar, father of nineteen children and renowned for his role as the paradigm daddy on the hit TLC series 19 Kids and Counting, has been widely scrutinized for waiting to contact authorities for more than a year while having full knowledge of his eldest child, Josh Duggar, molesting 5 underage girls, reportedly fondling their genitals and breast while they slept, some of whom being his sisters.
Josh, who is now 27, but was 14 at the time of the incidences, had confessed his coarse behavior to his father Jim Bob, who failed to contact police on the grounds that, “They had disciplined [Josh] after the incident.”
Nine months following the first episode, in March of 2003, Josh was once again accused of touching the genitals and breasts of several minors as they slept. Rather than alert officials, parents Jim Bob and Michelle concluded that a program composed of manual labor and daily counseling would be the troubled boys best hope, to which Michelle later revealed that the program had no counseling at all.
Under the impression Josh was being sent to a “Christian Program” as Jim Bob put it, Michelle later told police, “it was not really a training center. it was a guy we know in Little Rock that is remodeling a building.”
The Duggar’s, who constantly support and concern themselves with religious affairs, told police that Josh had ‘apologized’ to the female victims, and swore that Josh had, “Turned back to God.”
This was a sufficient answer for Arkansas state trooper, Jim Hutchens, who Jim Bob knew personally, to not take authoritative action against the Duggar’s son, instead giving him a “Stern talking to.”
Jim Hutchens is now currently serving a 56 year prison sentence for child pornography.
Even those affiliated with the church were informed of Josh’s wrongdoings, but still never acted, as Jim Bob told police, “Several members of their church were aware of the situation and had been supportive of the family.”
Josh Duggar, who at the moment has 3 children of his own, cannot be pursued for criminal action, as the 3 year statue of limitations has expired.
