Former reality TV star Josh Duggar faces child porn charges

<p>FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. &mdash; Former reality TV star Josh Duggar faces charges of downloading and possessing child pornography under a federal indictment unsealed Friday.</p>
<p>Federal prosecutors announced the indictment a day after Duggar <a href="https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-arrests-entertainment-reality-tv-arts-and-entertainment-33bb730051c09bf627252becea533292">was arrested</a> by U.S. Marshals in northwest Arkansas. Prosecutors said Duggar saying possessed the material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019.</p>
<p>Duggar, 33, pleaded not guilty at a hearing Friday. His attorneys said they planned to defend his case “aggressively and thoroughly.”</p>
<p>“In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime,” the attorneys said in a statement. “But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom — and that is exactly what Josh intends to do.”</p>
<p>A federal judge set May 5 detention hearing and a July 6 trial date.</p>
<p>Duggar starred on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” until it was pulled from the network in 2015 over revelations Duggar had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter. Duggar’s parents said he had confessed to the fondling and apologized.</p>
<p>Duggar previously <a href="https://apnews.com/article/594d303d185e4eabaa6ec9f0c2926146">apologized for a pornography addiction</a> and cheating on his wife.</p>