Josh Duggar was on sex offenders' list for molesting sisters years before porn arrest
New court documents have revealed that Josh Duggar, a former reality television personality, was allegedly on the Arkansas sex offenders' register for molesting his sisters years before his child pornography arrest. The shocking revelation came out as the city of Springdale and other defendants -- referred to as the Springdale Defendants -- filed papers on August 30 after Duggar's four sisters filed a lawsuit against them four years ago.
Duggar's four sisters sued the Springdale Defendants in 2017 for disclosing the details of the alleged sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of their brother. The sensitive information was reportedly made public after In Touch magazine made a Freedom of Information request. But the four women said it violated their privacy rights. Now, the Springdale Defendants have filed new documents to prove that the 33-year-old was on the sex offenders' registry for abusing his own siblings - Jill Dillard, Jessa Seewald, Jinger Vuolo, and Joy Duggar.
READ MORE
Josh Duggar: Child porn stash in work computer had horrific video of girl aged 7-9 being raped
Josh Duggar not allowed near his 6 kids if released on bail after his arrest for child porn, says judge
Reports said that at present, Duggar’s name is not on the Arkansas sex offender registry. Besides, he never faced any charges for allegedly molesting his sisters. Duggar is currently under house arrest at the home of family friends after being indicted on two counts of downloading and possessing child pornography.
In the 2017 suit, which the sisters’ filed against the City of Springdale, it was mentioned that they were interviewed by police about molestation allegations in December 2006 when they were underage. At the time, they were also reportedly guaranteed that the details of the interviews -- like “where and how on their bodies” they were allegedly touched by their brother, would be safe and concealed.
But in 2015, In Touch Weekly filed a Freedom of Information Act request, which was ultimately approved. The celebrity gossip magazine got a raw version of police reports and then it claimed that Duggar had sexually assaulted four of his five sisters and due to which they suffered “extreme mental anguish.”
The trial into the suit, which was supposed to begin in September 2021, has now been postponed to December 2021. Duggar's two sisters -- 29-year-old Jill and 28-year-old Jessa -- have already talked about the alleged assault in public and also said that they have forgiven him.
Through the new filings, the Springdale Defendants are now pressuring the Arkansas Department of Human Services to provide documents for a subpoena they had served the agency with in early August. It has been said that the defendants had subpoenaed the Department of Human Services to produce documentation that would help them in proving their point that the accusations against Duggar were already public before In Touch Weekly received the police report. But in response, the Department of Human Services submitted a Motion to Quash the subpoena. They argued that they cannot produce the documents demanded by the Springdale Defendants since they consist of reports on the “maltreatment” of minors.
The Department of Human Services stated, “The Defendant does not fall under any of the exceptions to the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Act's confidentiality requirements, and Defendant has not asserted that it falls under any of the exceptions.”
While the Springdale Defendants said that they’ve “substantial and compelling need for the documentation in the possession of DHS.”
They continued: “Upon information and belief, Joshua Duggar was placed on the sex offender registry and a legal proceeding was undertaken to remove Joshua Duggar from the sex offender registry. The Defendants are entitled to this information and documentation due to one of the central elements of Plaintiffs claims being public disclosure of private information.”
“If Joshua Duggar was placed on the sex offender registry other information such as incest, molestation of family members, or other identifying information could have led to the disclosure of the information Plaintiffs claim was private and not known to the public. Additionally, correspondence between Joshua Duggar and/or his agents in the possession of DHS regarding his removal from the sex offender registry could provide information as to the public knowledge of Joshua Duggar's acts of molestation and his victims,” the Springdale Defendants added.