Former reality TV star Josh Duggar, who in 2021 was found guilty of possessing pictures depicting the abuse of children, has had his prison sentence extended, Buzzfeed reports.
Duggar, who last year was sentenced to 12 ½ years in federal prison, had been scheduled to be released from the Seagoville, Texas facility in August, 2032, but his sentence was extended to Oct. 2, 2032.
A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed that Duggar’s sentence was extended but declined to confirm the reason, according to the report, which notes that several publications last month reported Duggar had been moved to solitary confinement over possession of a contraband cellphone,
"For privacy, safety, and security reasons, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) does not discuss the conditions of confinement of any inmate, including possible investigation or sanctions in prison, or reasons for changes in release plans," the spokesperson told the outlet.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Duggar, repeatedly downloaded and viewed images and videos depicting the abuse of children, including images of prepubescent children and depictions of sadistic abuse.
The former reality television personality who appeared with his family on the TLC series “19 Kids and Counting,” installed a password-protected partition on the hard drive of his desktop computer at his used car lot in Springdale to avoid detection software on the device.
He then accessed the partition to download material from the internet multiple times over the course of three days in May 2019.
The password for the partition was the same one he used for other personal and family accounts. Duggar downloaded the material using the dark web and online file-sharing software, viewed it, and then removed it from his computer.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said at the time of Duggar’s conviction that the verdict “sends a message that we will track down and prosecute people who download and view child sexual abuse material, regardless of the lengths they go to conceal their conduct.”
“I am grateful for the efforts of the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners who helped ensure the defendant would be held accountable for his crimes,” Polite said.
“I hope today’s conviction serves as a reminder of the department’s steadfast commitment to bringing to justice those who callously contribute to the online sexual exploitation of young children.”
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