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Anna Duggar ‘Completely Devastated’ After Josh’s Guilty Verdict and Will ‘Pray’ for the Victims
Following Josh Duggar‘s guilty verdict in his child pornography case, Anna Duggar‘s (née Keller) thoughts are with the victims, a source exclusively tells In Touch.
“Anna is completely devastated. Her family has been torn apart, but she knows it’s not just her family that’s been hurt,” the insider says. “She’s trying to think about and pray for the innocent victims.”
A federal jury found Josh, 33, guilty of one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography on Thursday, December 9, after a six-day trial. Prosecutors claimed that some of the images and videos were of children under the age of 12.
Anna, 33, remained supportive of her husband throughout his trial and was frequently filmed holding his hand as they entered and exited the courthouse. After Judge Timothy Brooks announced the verdict, Josh was handcuffed and taken into custody and Anna exited the courthouse, appearing solemn, with other members of the family.
The former 19 Kids and Counting star faces up to 40 years of jail time and $500,000 in fines. He is awaiting sentencing and will remain in police custody until the date is set.
“The family prayed and prayed, but also braced themselves for the worst,” a second source told In Touch on November 9. “[Michelle Duggar] and [Jim Bob Duggar] are trying to stay strong, praying for Josh, Anna and their grandkids. The family is rallying, but some of the kids can’t forgive their brother Josh for what he did. They’re horrified that he didn’t get help sooner.”
The eldest child of the Arkansas State Senate hopeful, 56, and Michelle, 55, was arrested on April 29 and pleaded not guilty the following day. The disgraced reality TV star “allegedly used the internet to download child sexual abuse material,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas shared in a press release at the time.
During the trial, a once long-time friend of the Duggar family, Bobye Holt, took the stand for the prosecution. During her testimony, Bobye stated Josh confessed to molesting young girls while he was a teenager.
In 2015, In Touch obtained a police report from 2006 through the Freedom of Information Act. The report revealed Josh inappropriately touched five underage girls. Jill Dillard (née Duggar) and Jessa Seewald (née Duggar,) two of Josh’s sisters, came forward as two of his victims during an interview with Megyn Kelly in June 2015.
Anna and Josh, who married in September 2008, are parents to kids Mackynzie, Michael, Marcus, Meredith, Mason, Maryella and Madyson, who was born in October.
