Josh Duggar's child pornography trial postponed as TLC cancels 'Counting On'
Joshua Duggar's child pornography trial has been postponed until November.
On Tuesday, documents were filed in federal court in Arkansas ordering a delay in the trial with the pre-trial conference now set for Nov. 18 and the trial Nov. 30. It had been set to commence in July.
The order, signed off by Timothy L. Brooks, stated the decision was made to give Josh's legal team "reasonable time necessary for effective preparation."
The filing came the same day TLC announced that Counting On, a show featuring the Duggars — but not scandal-plagued Josh — had been canceled.
"TLC will not be producing additional seasons of Counting On," the network said in a statement on Tuesday. "TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately."
At least one Duggar — Jinger — agreed it's a good idea in light of her brother's latest scandal. She thanked the network for the "remarkable journey," which began on 19 Kids and Counting.
Josh, 33, has quite a battle ahead. While he was released on bail in May, it came after a Homeland Security Investigations special agent testified that the approximately 200 illegal downloads on the father of six's computer were the "worst of the worst." The images allegedly showed sexual abuse of children from ages 18 months to 12 years, the same age range as Josh's own children.
It was also detailed how great lengths were taken to hide the downloads using special technology and hidden hard drives because Josh's computer activity was monitored with reports going to his wife, Anna, if he visited any pornography sites.
Josh pleaded not guilty to charges of receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children, which have him facing up to 40 years in prison.
He was released on bail on the condition he would reside with friends of his parents, a pastor who counsels inmates, and his wife. He's wearing an electronic monitor and is banned from using the internet or looking at porn. However, he is allowed "unlimited" visits with his kids as long as Anna, who's pregnant with their seventh child, is present.
A previous scandal involving Josh led to his family's reality show 19 and Counting being canceled in 2015. At the time, allegations surfaced that — more than 10 years earlier when he was a teen in 2002 and 2003 — he molested five girls, including some of his sisters. He admitted he "acted inexcusably." That same year, he confessed to cheating on Anna after it was exposed he had an account on the infidelity website Ashley Madison.
The family later returned to the airwaves — minus Josh — in Counting On featuring Jim Bob and Michelle and their other kids. The patriarch and matriarch of the family haven't yet commented on the cancellation of their show. Last year, Jill Duggar claimed she had to hire a lawyer to get paid for appearing on the show because her father was the primary payee and sharing the money with the kids.
In April, the couple issued a statement after Josh's arrest, saying they prayed "the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner," adding that they "love Josh and Anna." They have not commented yet about Counting On — a spin-off featuring them and their kids (minus Josh) — being canceled.
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