Josh Duggar's Attorneys Fought His Original Conviction With an Appeal — Here's What Happened

Content warning: This article contains topics of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The gist:

• Josh Duggar appealed his 2021 conviction for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), but his appeal was denied and his conviction was upheld.
• Josh is currently set to be released from prison on Oct. 2, 2032.
• His sentence was extended two months after he was reportedly caught with a cell phone in prison.

When Josh Duggar was convicted of federal charges related to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in 2021, his prison sentence came swiftly and he was sent to the Federal Correctional Institute Seagoville in Dallas, Texas. However, following his conviction, it came as little surprise to many that he and his legal team planned to appeal his sentence.

Duggar, known for his role in the former TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting, came under fire for multiple public scandals in the years leading up to his arrest and conviction. In 2015, he was accused of molesting four of his younger sisters and a family friend when he was a teenager.

He was later outed as a user on the marital cheating website Ashley Madison. The scandal involving Duggar's arrest and prison sentence was one that continued to make headlines well after the dust settled.

Duggar's original prison sentence after he was found guilty in 2021 was 151 months, or a little more than 12 years, in federal prison. However, in March 2023, according to the prison records, Duggar's sentence was extended by roughly two months. This could have been because Duggar was reported to have a contraband cell phone in the facility with him.

The extension of Duggar's sentence makes his prison release date Oct. 2, 2032. Duggar and his legal team made efforts to try and appeal his original conviction, however. On Aug. 8, 2023, CNN reported that Duggar's appeal was denied and his original conviction was upheld.

According to the outlet, Duggar's legal team argued to a panel of three judges that federal agents "violated his right to counsel" during Duggar's initial questioning at his dealership from federal agents who served him a warrant in 2019.

The Court of Appeals denied Duggar's request for a new trial. And he remains in custody at the Federal Correctional Institute Seagoville, where he continues to serve out his sentence.

Duggar's wife, Anna Duggar, stood by his side throughout his trial and she continues to support him in his incarceration, according to multiple outlets. The couple remain married and although Anna considered moving to Texas with their seven children to be closer to Josh Duggar, she still reportedly lives in a warehouse-turned-home on the Duggar family compound in Springdale, Ark.

Following Josh Duggar's arrest, conviction, and sentencing, Anna deleted her Instagram account. And, for the most part, she has remained out of the public eye for the first time in years. Some eagle-eyed fans claim on social media to catch glimpses of Anna or her children in various Duggar videos or Instagram posts, but Anna has remained silent on Josh Duggar's legal issues.