Posted: Dec 4, 2021 01:21 GMT
The trial recently began against the former director of an American Protestant organization, who is charged with two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography.
This week the trial for possession of child pornography against Josh duggar, television celebrity and former CEO of the Protestant Family Research Council, reports the New York Post.
Duggar, 33 years old and father of seven children, was charged last April of two counts of receipt and possession of child pornography and he faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $ 250,000 for each count if convicted.
Prosecutors allege that in 2019 the defendant downloaded images and videos of girls as young as 5 years old being “raped and exploited.” During the judicial hearing on Tuesday, the jury was shown some of the at least 65 images of child pornography which, according to the authorities, were found on the defendant’s computer at his currently closed car dealership.
This Thursday, James Fottrell, one of the principal forensic investigators of the Department of Justice of the United States, declared that his team had discovered a video that shows to a 3 month old girl posing naked on a bed and being tortured with hot wax. “The girl cries and screams. It is one of the most offensive videos that I know of in my entire career,” the officer told the jury.
For his part, Duggar’s attorney, Justin Gelfand, argued that someone downloaded or put the photos and videos on their client’s computer of child abuse. “If you like mystery, then this is the case for you,” Gelfand was quoted as saying by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “This is a classic old-fashioned crime novel,” he added.
However, prosecutors stated that detailed records of the activity on Duggar’s computer show that it alternated between sending personal messages, downloading child pornography and storing photos.
Child harassment offenses
Duggar is known for participating in TLC’s ’19 Kids and Counting ‘family show, which was pulled from the channel in 2015 following revelations that the he had abused four of his sisters and a babysitter. Back then, Duggar publicly apologized for his addiction to pornography and for cheating on his wife, calling himself “the greatest hypocrite in history.”
In turn, District Judge Timothy Brooks ruled earlier this week that juries can hear details of that abuse at the child pornography trial, reports AP. “The victims of child pornography in this case are roughly the same ages as the victims of the defendant’s child molestation offenses,” he said. “Consequently, the evidence from previous acts is probative of the defendant’s sexual interest in underage children and his propensity to exploit girls,” he added.
The accused has pleaded not guilty in the child pornography case and his attorneys have said they plan to defend his case “aggressively and fully.”
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