Michelle Duggar warned about transgender ‘child predators’ — now Josh Duggar has been arrested for being an actual child predator

Former 19 Kids and Counting reality TV star Josh Duggar has been arrested and charged with receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children, according to various reports.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Arkansas released a statement saying that Duggar allegedly downloaded the material, some of which involves children under the age of 12, in May of 2019. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Duggar has six children ages 11 and under, with one on the way. The judge ruled that he will need to live in a home without minors if he’s granted bond.

His arrest comes after a history of alleged predatory behavior, most famously the accusations that he molested underage girls, including some of his sisters, when he was a teenager — allegations which he admitted to. The reality show he was featured in was canceled as a result.

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret,” Duggar, then 27, said in a statement at the time. “I hurt others, including my family and close friends. I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”

As Right Wing Watch points out, Josh’s mother, Michelle Duggar, once publicly lobbied against child predators, but she wasn’t referring to the kind with her son’s alleged tendencies. In 2014, she publicly campaigned against an anti-discrimination bill in her home state of Arkansas, lending her voice to a robocall that went out to citizens warning that allowing transgender people the right to use their preferred bathrooms would pose a risk to children.

“Hello, this is Michelle Duggar. I’m calling to inform you of some shocking news that would affect the safety of Northwest Arkansas women and children. The Fayetteville City Council is voting on an ordinance this Tuesday night that would allow men – yes, I said men – to use women’s and girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping areas and other areas that are designated for females only,” she said in the robocall.

“I don’t believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls,” she continued. “I doubt that Fayetteville parents would stand for a law that would endanger their daughters or allow them to be traumatized by a man joining them in their private space. We should never place the preference of an adult over the safety and innocence of a child. Parents, who do you want undressing next to your daughter at the public swimming pool’s private changing area?”

Listen to the robocall’s audio below:

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.