In the wake of Josh Duggar’s child pornography charges and arrest last April, the former TLC star was convicted on both charges at a trial earlier this month. He was immediately taken into federal custody and sent to jail, where he spent his first Christmas holiday in the institution in solitary confinement.
According to The U.S. Sun, an, unnamed, inside source reported that Josh Duggar was excluded from the jail's usual Christmas activities. Inmates are normally allowed to share a communal dinner on the holiday, but those in solitary confinement are served in their cells. They do, however, receive the same meal, consisting of turkey, mashed potatoes, and other holiday staples. The jail makes no other holiday concessions, omitting decorations and additional special meals.
Josh Duggar has been kept in solitary since his arrival and is expected to remain there until his sentencing trial. His treatment is not special: another source for The U.S. Sun said that all convicted sex offenders are separated from the main population ‘for their own safety.’ The Washington County Correctional Facility in Arkansas, where Duggar is currently, has a history of inmate-on-inmate assaults, and management has been taken to court multiple times throughout the last two decades because of the alleged activity.
This may have been the first Christmas Josh Duggar spent in jail, but it is not likely to be the last. The ex-reality star’s sentencing is not set to take place for another four months, according to Judge Timothy L. Brooks, who cited a ‘mandatory detention.’ Lawyer Abtin Mehdizadegan attested that Josh Duggar is expected to face a minimum of five years in prison, although he said that the occurrence of a full trial suggested that a sentence of 10 years was more realistic.
As Josh Duggar was convicted on two counts of child pornography, he could be facing a prison of sentence of up to twenty years each. If the maximum punishment is dispensed, that could add up to a forty-year sentence. Josh Duggar could also be required to pay a fine of $250,000 for each count, for a total of $500,000. Additional consequences include a new classification as a registered sex offender, which will remain on record for several years.
Before Josh Duggar can receive an official sentence, the court must complete a pre-sentence report that recounts the guilty party’s crimes, past criminal activity, and other similar information. The pre-sentence report will take at least a month to complete, and officials will require even more time to fully evaluate the material and raise any potential objections. It is only after these steps have been taken that a sentence can be doled out.
There will likely be more news on Josh Duggar’s case as it progresses. Be sure to check back here on CinemaBlend for future updates as the story develops.
