Duggar was charged April 30 with receiving and possessing child pornography.
A judge ruled Wednesday that former reality TV star Josh Duggar from TLC's"19 Kids and Counting" will be released to a third party custodian while he awaits trial on charges ofDuring a hearing held via Zoom to determine Duggar’s detention status, U.S. District Judge Christy Comstock said she considered alleged accounts of Duggar’s previous sexual misconduct in her ruling.
“You have admitted to past conduct — touching minor children — that concerns the court. I’m not telling anyone involved in this hearing, or you, something that you don’t know. What concerns me about it the most is the age of your sisters — 11, 10, 9, 5 — that concerns the court quite a lot. “I am also greatly concerned with images and approximate ages of children in these images are very close to the ages of your children and your nephews and nieces. I keep coming back to this overriding concern that the court has about the children that you live and interact with on a daily basis and the crimes that you are charged with."
Former television personality on "19 Kids And Counting" Josh Duggar poses for a booking photo after his arrest April 29, 2021 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.During the hearing, probation officer Diem Nguyen said it was her recommendation not to release Duggar. Nguyen pointed to conditions of release, which included a third party custodian and a residence devoid of minors. Duggar and his wife Anna are parents to six children, and Anna is expecting their seventh child, a girl, this fall.
Duggar's lawyers reiterated that Duggar was born and raised in the area, and thus is not a flight risk due to"deep roots." They also argued that the Rebers could be trusted as custodians of the court.