Past molestation evidence allowed in Duggar child porn trial

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Jurors successful erstwhile world TV prima Josh Duggar's proceedings connected kid pornography charges tin perceive grounds that helium admitted to molesting 4 girls astir 20 years ago, a national justice ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks rejected a question by Duggar's attorneys to forestall the grounds from being heard arsenic his kid pornography proceedings began.

Duggar, who appeared successful TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” was charged successful April with 2 counts of downloading and possessing kid pornography.

Prosecutors privation the assemblage to perceive grounds from a Duggar household person who testified successful a pre-trial proceeding Monday that Duggar told her successful 2003 that helium molested 4 girls. But Duggar's defence attorneys argued Duggar was ne'er charged and that the allegations person nary relevance to the kid pornography case.

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Brooks, however, said the grounds was applicable to Duggar's kid pornography case.

“The kid pornography victims successful this lawsuit are astir the aforesaid ages arsenic the victims of defendant’s hands-on child-molestation offenses," Brooks' bid said. “Accordingly, the anterior enactment grounds is probative of defendant’s intersexual involvement successful underage children and his propensity for exploiting young girls."

During opening statements, Duggar's lawyer argued that idiosyncratic other downloaded oregon placed the images depicting the intersexual maltreatment of children connected his computer.

“If you similar a mystery, past this is the lawsuit for you,” Justin Gilfand, representing Duggar, told jurors successful his opening statement, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. “This is simply a classic, aged fashioned whodunit.”

But national prosecutors elaborate logs showing minute-by-minute, the enactment connected Duggar's machine that alternated betwixt sending idiosyncratic messages, downloading kid porn and redeeming pictures of notes, the paper reported.

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Duggar, 33, faces up to 20 years successful situation and fines of up to $250,000 connected each number if convicted.

A national Homeland Security cause successful May testified that pornographic images depicting the intersexual maltreatment of children, including toddlers, had been downloaded successful May 2019 by a machine astatine a car dealership that Duggar owned.

Duggar has pleaded not blameworthy successful the lawsuit and his attorneys person said they program to support his lawsuit "aggressively and thoroughly.”

TLC pulled “19 Kids and Counting” successful 2015 implicit revelations that Duggar had molested 4 of his sisters and a babysitter. Duggar’s parents said helium confessed to the fondling and apologized.

Duggar's proceedings begins arsenic his father, Jim Bob Duggar, is running successful a peculiar election for a vacant authorities Senate spot successful northwest Arkansas. Jim Bob Duggar was besides featured prominently connected the TLC amusement and antecedently served successful the Arkansas House. The superior predetermination for the unfastened spot is Dec. 14.

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