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Joshua James Duggar (born 3rd March 1988) is an American lobbyist, former reality TV celebrity, former Family Research Council executive and child molester.
TV Career
In 2005, Duggar began appearing in 19 Kids And Counting, a reality show about his family. This included several specials, including A Very Duggar Wedding (2009), which featured Duggar marrying Anna Kellner, GrandDuggar's First Birthday (2010), featuring their first child, First Grandson (2011), featuring their second child, GrandDuggar Makes 3 (2013), featuring their third child, and Anna's Having A... (2015), featuring the announcement that they were expecting a fourth child.
Political Activism
In June 2013, the Hate Group known as the Family Research Council announced that they would be hiring Duggar as the executive director of FRC Action, a propaganda division aimed at targeting young people. FRC president Tony Perkins stated that Duggar was chosen due to his part in 19 Kids And Counting, as he believed the popularity of the show would make FRC Action appeal to young people. On FRC Action, Duggar described his views as "family centered" and Christian right, meaning that he advocates for the criminalization of abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. He also used FRC Action to campaign for Republican Senate candidates during the 2014 midterm elections.
Molestation Controversy
On 21st May 2015, the magazine In Touch Weekly reported that Duggar's father Jim Bob Duggar had informed the Arkansas State Police that Duggar had molested five underage girls while he was a teenager. The police report, which was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act of 1966, indicated that four of the five molestation victims were Duggar's sisters, who had been touched on the breasts and genitals by Duggar while they were sleeping. It was also revealed that in 2003, Duggar had admitted to his parents that he had inappropriately touched a babysitter, groped one of his younger sisters when she was sitting on his lap and cornered one of his sisters in a laundry room so he could sexually assault her. As a result, his parents had sent him to a counselling facility in Arkansas before having State Trooper Jim Hutchens, who was later convicted of possessing Child Pornography, give him a "stern talk". He had also allegedly been investigated for the abuse in 2006, but ultimately no charges were filed due to the Statute of Limitations. After the report was published, Duggar publicly apologised and resigned from FRC Action.