The Duggar Family

Josh Duggar was just slammed by his sister and brother-in-law ... calling his prison sentence for child porn God's vengeance.

Jill and Derick Dillard posted, "The Bible clearly states that God effects justice and vengeance through the governing authorities. Though some believe Josh should have received a greater sentence and still fewer believe he should have received a lighter sentence, God has carried out his vengeance today for his unspeakable criminal activity."

Jill and Derick says 12 years, 7 months behind bars and 20-years probation thereafter is the only way Josh can rehabilitate himself, "to the point he can safely live in society again."

They went on ... "Hopefully, Josh can actually begin to get treatment and begin to work toward a lifestyle where he is less likely to reoffend. If for nothing else, the notoriety of this case has hopefully contributed to the deterrence of potential offenders and will help protect children by decreasing the demand for' child pornography."

Josh's lawyer, Travis Story, tells TMZ they will fight the conviction on appeal.

Josh Duggar has been sentenced to 12 and a half years behind bars after being found guilty in his child porn trial ... TMZ has learned.

As we reported, the "19 Kids and Counting" star was found guilty on one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography. According to prosecutors, some of those images were minors under the age of 12.

The possession charge was vacated because of an agreement between Duggar's legal team and the court, so he was only sentenced for the receiving child porn charge.

Duggar's legal team have previously stated they'll appeal.

The trial went on for two weeks and featured the testimony of digital forensic analysts and other witnesses. One family friend claimed Duggar confessed to molesting children, during tearful testimony.

You'll recall ... the feds raided his office at the car dealership where he worked in Arkansas, back in November 2019. Federal agents seized his computer, his iPhone and MacBook from inside the RV.

Duggar's lawyers asked the court to send him to prison for five years.

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are feeling anxious about her pregnancy ... because they're both fighting COVID-19 after testing positive for the virus.

The couple tells TMZ ... they are both concerned about Jill battling the virus while she's expecting, in part because of all the unknowns and shifting science.

The way Jill and Derick see things ... they're still unsure about the long-term effects of COVID, particularly for pregnant women, and while scientists are making strides in understanding the virus, the continuous developing nature of the pandemic makes things stressful.

What's more, the couple tells us Jill suffered a miscarriage last year ... meaning she's more on edge about this pregnancy ... and adding a COVID diagnosis to the mix only heightens their anxiety.

Jill and Derick, who both tested positive for the virus Thursday, tell us they are working with their doctor to ensure Jill and the baby are safe ... but the main health concerns for pregnant women like Jill are being more susceptible to developing blood clots and potentially not providing enough oxygen to the baby.

The couple says Jill, who is due to give birth in July, is taking baby aspirin to try and prevent blood clots ... and they're monitoring the baby's heart rate and keeping track of how many times the baby is kicking per day.

Jill and Derick tell us they are both fully vaccinated ... and they believe the mild symptoms they are experiencing could have been much worse without the shots.

While the couple tells us dealing with a COVID case, particularly right now, is disappointing ... Jill's thankful she didn't catch it during her first trimester, when she was dealing with a lot of morning sickness.

Josh Duggar was just found guilty on both counts by a jury in his child pornography trial ... TMZ has confirmed.

The "19 Kids and Counting" star was charged with one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography. Prosecutors claimed some of those images included minors below the age of 12.

Duggar's legal team of Justin Gelfand, Ian Murphy and Travis Story tell us, "We appreciate the jury’s lengthy deliberations, we respect the jury’s verdict, and we intend to appeal.”

Duggar was taken into federal custody, a sentencing date has not yet been set.

On November 19, the feds raided his office at the car dealership where Duggar worked in Arkansas ... DHS agents seized his computer plus his iPhone and a MacBook from inside an RV.

The two-week-long trial included testimony from digital forensic analysts along with other witnesses. One family friend claimed the former reality star confessed to molesting children in a tearful testimony on the witness stand.

Josh mainly sat with his head down during the trial, and now he will await his sentence.

He faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.

Josh Duggar's child pornography case looks like the final nail in the coffin for his family's TV show ... TLC's canceling it after 11 seasons.

The network announced it will no longer be producing "Counting On," the family reality series that's a spin-off of the popular "19 Kids and Counting" ... which ended its run back in 2015.

TMZ broke the story ... Josh -- one of the stars of '19 Kids' -- was arrested by the feds in late April and charged with 2 counts of child pornography. He's accused of knowingly receiving child porn in May 2019 and knowingly possessing images of child pornography ... including images of minors below the age of 12.

TLC makes it clear ... the case is why it's pulling the plug, saying it "feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately."

Addressing the case in any way on the show would have been a legal risk for Duggar ... while not addressing it would mean producers were ignoring the biggest elephant in the room.

Josh Duggar wants to be released from jail pending a trial in his child porn case ... claiming in new legal docs he's not a flight risk because, among other things, his face is way too recognizable.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the "19 Kids and Counting" star claims he should be let out of jail and released to his home so he can take care of his pregnant wife. He says he'll abide by any bail conditions the court puts in place to assure his appearance in court for any hearings in his case.

In docs, Duggar says he's not a flight risk ... and he can prove it. He claims he "has no criminal convictions, and has known about this federal criminal investigation since November 2019 when Homeland Security Investigations executed a search of Duggar’s prior workplace."

What's more ... he claims he's maintained an open dialogue with the U.S. Attorney's Office in connection with this probe. And, get this ... Duggar argues he's not a flight risk because he "has a widely-recognizable face and has spent the majority of his life in the public spotlight — making any concern that he is a risk of flight all the more unwarranted." Duggar's lawyers, Travis Story and Justin Gelfand, make note he and his family were in a hit reality show.

And, in trying to drive home the point... Duggar points to the feds allowing him to voluntarily self-surrender ... and says he complied as directed.

Josh Duggar's just been hit with charges of receiving and possessing child pornography following his arrest by federal agents in Arkansas.

According to the legal docs, the "19 Kids and Counting" star knowingly received child porn in mid-May 2019. He's accused of knowingly possessing images of child pornography, including images of minors below the age of 12.

Duggar's been charged by indictment with receiving and possessing child pornography -- one count each. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000.00 on each count.

He's been ordered to forfeit any material related to the case to authorities, including turning over any and all computer equipment.

Duggar appeared before the judge at the Western District of Arkansas Federal Court from jail via Zoom, where he entered a plea of not guilty on all counts.

A court hearing's set for next week to determine if Duggar will be granted bond release, but he's to remain in custody until then. The judge ruled if bond is granted ... Duggar will be required to stay with a third-party custodian, and that person can't have unsupervised minors in the home.

His trial is scheduled for July.

We broke the story ... Duggar was arrested Thursday by the feds in Washington County, and was being held in a detention center without bail.

The reality star's mug shot, obtained by TMZ, showed him posing with a strange smirk on his face.

As we reported ... Homeland Security agents visited the Arkansas car dealership where he worked back in November 2019, raiding his office in connection to a federal probe.

Duggar's legal counsel Justin Gelfand, Travis W. Story and Greg Payne, tell us, "Josh Duggar has been charged in a two-count indictment. He has pled not guilty to both charges and we intend to defend this case aggressively and thoroughly."

Josh Duggar is in custody in Arkansas ... federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

The reality star was arrested Thursday by federal agents in Washington County, and he's being held in a detention center without bail.

We've obtained Duggar's mug shot, showing the former reality star posing with a bizarre smirk.

As we reported ... back in November 2019, Homeland Security agents were crawling around the car dealership where Duggar works in Arkansas, raiding his office in connection to a federal probe.

Josh's only current legal dispute, as far as we know, is a civil lawsuit filed against him for real estate fraud. It would appear his latest arrest is for something far more severe, though it's unclear exactly why he's been taken in.

Josh Duggar has Homeland Security crawling around the car dealership where he works in Arkansas, and it's related to a federal investigation ... TMZ has learned.

Agents went to the dealership in Springdale, AR in connection to a federal probe ... according to sources close to the situation. There were reports the feds had raided the Duggar family home, but we're told that's not the case. Agents have only been at Josh's place of employment ... at least for now.

It's unclear exactly what the nature of the investigation is, or if Josh was the target. A Homeland Security spokesman would only confirm agents were at the dealership.

The Duggars rose to fame thanks to a pair of reality shows, '19 Kids' and "Counting On." But, as we reported, TLC eventually pulled the plug on '19 Kids' in 2015 following Josh Duggar's child molestation scandal.

Josh's only current legal dispute, that we know of, is a lawsuit filed against him for real estate fraud.

A Duggar family spokesperson says it's not true "any member of our family is the target of any investigation of any kind." The spokesperson added, "Living a life in the public's eye has taught us that it is best not to reply to every rumor and piece of 'fake news' that is circulated online. It would be a full-time job if we attempted to do so."

Story developing ...

Josh Duggar made a rare appearance Saturday at his sister's wedding.

Jinger Duggar tied the knot with soccer player Jeremy Vuolo at John Brown University in Arkansas.

Josh was among the 1,000 guests and the wedding will be featured in a TLC wedding special. TLC has made it clear, it will not put a frame of Josh in any upcoming Duggar show.

As you know ... Josh was the subject of a police investigation for allegedly sexually molesting 5 girls, some of whom were his sisters. The case went nowhere because the statute of limitations had run. TLC cancelled "19 Kids and Counting" but is still doing specials focusing on the sisters.

Josh Duggar's rehab stint isn't enough to get him back to work ... on TV, anyway -- he won't be back on camera for any of the Duggar programs.

Sources connected with production for the Duggars tell us TLC will NOT feature Josh on his own show, on family specials, or on his sisters' new series. We're told the family is focused on rebuilding their brand after his molestation scandal -- and trying to move forward without rehashing the past.

Not everyone is persona non grata though ... we're told Josh's wife, Anna, will appear on "Jill & Jessa: Counting On," because she and Josh's children are actively involved with ongoing family story lines.

The Duggars released a statement after Josh left rehab for undisclosed therapy ... saying he will continue counseling and focus on rebuilding the relationships with his family now that he's back in Arkansas.

The porn star who sued Josh Duggar for allegedly roughing her up during a sexual encounter wants to drop the case ... but Josh is not willing to let it go that easily.

Danica Dillon wants to dismiss her lawsuit, but there's a catch. She wants the option to refile at some point in the future ... this according to new legal docs.

Here's her problem. Under the law she lost her right to simply drop the case with an option to refile. Dillon says in the docs her lawyers approached Josh's attorneys to see if they'd be agreeable to the dismissal, but they balked.

Josh's lawyers say they'll only agree if Dillon drops her case forever and retracts her allegations on her social media accounts. He also wants her to foot his legal bills.

She's refusing Josh's offer, and adds in the docs he might think twice before digging his heels in, because of his admission he's been treated for sex addiction.

As TMZ first reported, Duggar claims he never had sex with Dillon and has an alibi to prove it.

Josh Duggar is going after a stripper ... not only denying he sexually brutalized her ... he says he never even laid eyes on her.

Duggar has filed legal docs in response to Danica Dillon's lawsuit which alleges he met her in a strip club, plunked down $600 for lap dances and then upped the ante by another $1,500 so he could have sex with her in a hotel room. She says he was so aggressive she felt like she was being raped.

Josh Duggar has new legal trouble -- a porn star says he assaulted her during sex multiple times, and now she's suing.

Danica Dillon says she met Josh in March at a strip club in Philly, and that he paid $600 to the club to get several lap dances from her. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Josh followed Danica to her hotel room and they agreed to have sex for $1,500.

In the suit, Danica says Josh "manhandled" and physically assaulted her so badly she felt like she was being raped. She says Josh found her at a strip club a month later to apologize, but when they were alone he assaulted her again ... according to the suit.

Jessa Duggar delivered a baby boy Thursday night, but it wasn't easy ... we've learned she tried giving birth at home but there were complications and she was rushed to the hospital.

We're told Jessa was taken by ambulance from one of the Duggar homes in Fayetteville, Arkansas to the local hospital. It's unclear what happened, but we do know she was trying to do a home birth.

The baby weighed in at 9 lbs 11 oz., and measured more than 21 inches, so it just may have been too big.

Jessa married Ben Seewald last year. It's their first kid together and if she follows in her mom's footsteps ... it probably won't be their last.