The wife and family of disgraced reality TV star Josh Duggar are paying regular visits while he serves his 151-month sentence for possession of child pornography, sources said.
Duggar, 34, who grew up starring on TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, was found guilty last December of downloading a trove of “the worst of the worst” child pornography.
Despite his heinous crime, US sources said Sun Duggar’s wife Anna and their seven children visit FCI Seagoville in Dallas, Texas, where he is incarcerated “quite regularly”. The prison is said to be “dangerous” and poorly run.
Last month, Duggar claimed in a court filing that he was “held down” by police during questioning following his arrest and that Caleb Williams, his employer and a registered sex offender, was the perpetrator of the child pornography crime.
Josh Duggar, 34, has been sentenced to 151 months in prison for possession of child porn
Josh Duggar with his wife Anna and their six children. He now has seven children
The family member of another FCI Seagoville inmate said she saw the Duggars in prison on numerous occasions.
‘We saw Anna on visits fairly regularly. I spoke to Anna a couple of times. Usually I only see Anna and then her children,’ they said. ‘I don’t really know anyone else.’
The source said the prison provides “board games and pads” in the visiting area to keep the children occupied, but otherwise it could be very difficult for families to visit.
She said the prison doesn’t allow visitors to wear clothing that could be seen as provocative and that their rules sometimes change from visit to visit.
FCI Seagoville in Dallas, Texas. The prison is said to be “dangerous” and poorly run
Duggar with his wife and children. He was sentenced to 151 months in prison for possession of child pornography
“It’s kind of a bummer, whatever they’re going to say is out of policy today. A guard told me I have too many bobby pins in my hair to go in or my mask is the wrong color,” the source said.
“They tried to turn me away because I was wearing a dress. I had worn the same dress the week before and they said it was fine but this time they said it was too sexually provocative.
The source added that visitors often have to “wait for hours.”
“There is always a delay. A few weeks ago they said the power was out. It goes in and out all the time so they use it as an excuse to make us wait a few hours before we can get in.
Josh Duggar holds hands with his wife Anna as he leaves court during his child pornography trial
Josh and Anna Duggar hold hands as he stands trial for possession of child pornography
The source said it can be difficult to get in easily and visitors will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.
“The visit is scheduled to begin at 8:15 a.m. and last until 3:30 p.m. I get there around 7am just to be in line early,” the source said. “And they start processing us anytime between 8:15 and 9:30. Just like that, whenever they feel like it.’
The source added that the visit usually ends up to an hour earlier than scheduled and they sit on “plastic chairs” in a “really cold” room and talk to their detained loved ones.
“Sometimes there is food in the vending machines, but often they go empty for weeks. It’s very uncomfortable.’
“Partners are allowed to have a kiss and a hug at the beginning and end of the visit. Up until a few weeks ago, they actually allowed inmates and visitors to hold hands. It was really nice.’
“But they put another guard on the shift and now they don’t allow that anymore.”
Josh Duggar appeared on the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting
The Duggar family on their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting
Sources close to the prison have previously claimed FCI Seagoville often serves inmates badly expired food, goes for weeks without heat or hot water even in the dead of winter, and has a faulty power system that relies on equally unreliable generators.
A source also told the US Sun “there’s not really a lot of security because they’re dramatically understaffed.”
“The prison has pretty strong politics, which means there are gangs there. Thankfully, it’s not nearly as violent as a medium-security facility. It’s actually not a very violent facility.’
“But given the level of neglect, it’s just a dangerous situation and so I know my family member was worried about his. I would say he is always concerned about his well-being, even when he feels physically safe.”
FCI Seagoville in Dallas, Texas. According to reports, the prison is frequently without electricity and heating
Josh Duggar in a 2021 mugshot. He was convicted of possession of child pornography
Duggar made headlines in 2015 when police reports emerged that he had molested four of his young sisters when he was 12. His parents said he confessed to the petting and apologized.
During his child pornography trial, Duggar learned he was scouring the dark web for sick videos of little girls being tortured, humiliated and abused.
Descriptive titles such as “Pedo-Mama”, “Play with your sweetheart”, “Daisy’s Destruction” and “Ultra Hard Pedo Pedofilia” left little to the imagination. One video ended with a girl being locked in a dog kennel. Another series of pictures showed a minor being raped by a male adult.
The videos were downloaded between May 14th and 16th, 2019.
The warped cache was so disturbing that a veteran FBI child exploitation investigator said it was “in the top 5 worst of the worst I’ve ever had to investigate.”
At the time of the trial, defense attorneys claimed that a former employee or hacker could have taken advantage of Duggar’s lax internet security to hijack his computer and remotely download the footage without anyone knowing.
Josh Duggar (back right) with his many siblings on the show 19 Kids and Counting
Duggar is now asking for a new trial. Alleged armed officers prevented him from contacting his lawyer and forced him into an interrogation during his arrest.
In his court filing, he claimed he was “caught by surprise” by the ambush and was only allowed to leave on orders from officers.
“Duggar immediately took out his phone and said he was calling his attorney. [An agent] took the phone out of Duggar’s hand and prevented him from calling an attorney,” the filing said.
However, federal officials responded to Duggar’s claims, insisting, “Duggar was reportedly told he was free to go.”
“The government also alleges that Duggar was not detained,” the filing continued. “But restraint is more than handcuffs.
“Duggar was placed in a police vehicle with two armed agents. He was told his lawyer could not accompany him after trying to call a lawyer and was denied access to a vehicle.
His attorneys argued that anyone in Duggar’s position should feel “significantly deprived of their agency.”