Josh Duggar Admits Molestation, Resigns from Family Research Council

[Novara]

Source: TMZ

Josh Duggar has resigned as Executive Director of the Family Research Council, acknowledging he sexually molested underage girls including some of his sisters, calling his conduct inexcusable.

Josh just told People, "Twelve years ago, as a young teenager. I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret." He continues, "We spoke with authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling."

The molestations occurred in 2002 and 2003, when he was 14. He fondled the genitals and breasts of the girls, some of whom were sleeping.

Josh's wife Anna says he confessed his "past teenage mistakes" to her 2 years before he asked her to marry him.

The incidents were not reported to police until 2006, and the statute of limitations has now long since passed. But Josh says he believes God has shown him mercy and given him redemption.


Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/05/21/josh-duggar-admits-molestation-statement-resigns-confessed-sex-scandal-wife/#ixzz3aohZ5Cl6

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/05/21/josh-duggar-admits-molestation-statement-resigns-confessed-sex-scandal-wife/

[leftofcool]

1. Well isn't he special! Gawd forgave him. Ask his victims if they do.

[GeorgeGist]

31. Apparently most of them are his sisters.

[Kablooie]

117. His sisters were raised to be sexual toys and forbidden to complain.

So you won't hear anything from that direction.

[valerief]

2. Is this one of those million-kids-in-the-family Duggars? nt

[proud patriot]

5. I second that question

[City Lights]

6. Yep! nt

[longship]

3. What a fucking jerk.

His only claim, other than his guilt, is that he's forgiven?

What a fucking evil jerk!

[pnwmom]

4. He was 14. What he did was wrong, but he had more courage in admitting this than many men

who have sexually assaulted women and children.

And children who do this have often been assaulted themselves -- which doesn't excuse their behavior, but leads to the question of who else might have been involved.

[Novara]

7. Interesting:

And children who do this have often been assaulted themselves -- which doesn't excuse their behavior, but leads to the question of who else might have been involved.

Yeah, that's interesting. What if the entire family is riddled with sexual abuse?

[Liberalagogo]

9. Courage? I don't think so.

"The incidents were not reported to police until 2006, and the statute of limitations has now long since passed. But Josh says he believes God has shown him mercy and given him redemption."

[pnwmom]

11. He chose to come forward even though he wasn't being criminally prosecuted

and there was no one publicly accusing him.

That took courage.

By contrast, we can look at Bill Cosby and how he's been denying the claims of dozens of women that he drugged and assaulted them

[Liberalagogo]

12. AFTER the statute of limitations expired.

So nope, you're filled with the FAIL there.

[Zenlitened]

15. That is not entirely true. His secret was out...

...according to reports, despite years of keeping it hush-hush.

So he didn't courageously come forward, apparently. More a matter if trying to get ahead of the news cycle:

The family secret finally came out because of the discovery of a letter written by a family friend with knowledge of the incident. The letter was placed inside a book which was later loaned to a member of the Duggar family’s church.

Source:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/josh-duggar-accused-underage-sexual-abuse-report-article-1.2231301

(toward end of lengthy article)

[ToxMarz]

20. That was my first assumption

It would have had to be that this was about to come out and trying to get ahead of it. No where was it reported that this was some grand courageous Mea Culpa. Unless it was, that would normally not be my first thought of a serial sexual predator that had hidden his perverted crimes with the help of his family and the parents of his victims.

[pnwmom]

23. He was 13 -14 while this was happening. For all we know, his victims were close in age.

What he did was undeniably wrong but the term "serial sexual predator" and "perverted crimes" might be a bit extreme of a label for a young teen, especially if the victims were close to him in age. And they probably were, since they had breasts.

[6000eliot]

27. It's so nice that people give these hateful people the benefit of the doubt,

a benefit that the Duggar's and the hate group they associate themselves with do NOT extend to LGBT people

[pnwmom]

29. I am NOT excusing the parents at all. I'm pointing out that this kid was 13-14 years old

when this happened, not a hardened criminal.

And he could well have been a victim himself. Don't be surprised if some creepy aunt or uncle or parent turns up next.

[6000eliot]

32. His parents don't work for an LGBT hate group.

HE did, until today.

[pnwmom]

33. His parents taught him everything he knows. And they've donated money to

the anti-gay cause.

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/19-kids-and-counting-duggar-family-helps-anti-lgbt-bill-get-passed-20141112

They got their wish. The Duggar family helped get an anti-LGBT bill get passed in their hometown Fayetteville, Arkansas on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The new bill helped overturn a measure that would have prevented landlords and business owners to evict or fire people based on their gender identity. During the campaign, the Duggars also donated $10,000 to three opponents of the Ordinance 119.

SNIP

Despite the backlash, the couple stood their ground by posting a telling Bible verse on their Facebook page. It read: "We will always stand for truth and the values we hold dear without compromise, but we will do so in love and kindness — treating others well even if we don't agree with them and we will do so without hateful words." Fans also created a counter-petition to save the show, which has remained on air.

[dflprincess]

90. Last year his mother recorded robo-calls warning people that

protecting transgender people from discrimination would give the transgender people more opportunities to molest children.

Apparently when your son molests your daughters it's okay because it's heterosexual abuse.

[dbackjon]

67. YES YOU ARE

Why are you excusing the actions of this monster.


Throughout this thread, you are FUCKING DEFENDING THESE HATEFILLED CREEPS.


FUCK THEM

[pnwmom]

69. He was a younger teen; and brain development, including impulse control, continues

through the mid-twenties.

His situation is entirely different than that of his parents. I am not excusing them. I am saying that no young teen should be viewed as unsalvageable, or as a "monster."

[dbackjon]

71. So he should get off scot-free?

Incredible.


Never thought I would see child-molestation excused on DU.

[pnwmom]

73. How do you make that conclusion?

That hasn't been what I've been talking about at all.

We don't know exactly what happened, or to whom, or how old they were.. All we know is that the statute of limitations is past. It would be preferable if it wasn't and the state could get to the bottom of this. But they can't.

I am not excusing molestation. I am saying that he was a child himself and children shouldn't be considered irredeemably lost. I also suspect that he was victimized himself, because that is very common in this situation. And I am saying that it is the parents who are primarily responsible, because they were the ones that controlled the family and kept the girls' accusations from being reported till it was too late.

[adigal]

132. He can't be a pedophile, he was a child by law

Your hysterical reaction is why parents don't get their kids help when this happens, and it happens a LOT. I bet you have at least one person you know and respect who did something like this as a teen. And did you scream as loudly about Lena Dunham? Or was it ok because she was a female and liberal?

This kid needed to be threatened with severe consequences if he did it again and put into therapy. Calling him a monster, a pervert, keeps that from happening. What parent will expose their kid to judgements like the ones you made? Young teens are curious, he crossed the line. Everyone needed therapy, not to be hanged in the public square.

[PassingFair]

48. He was 13 or 14 when it started...

and it went on for several years before the "police" were involved.

[pnwmom]

60. The incidents occurred over the course of about a year, according to what I read. Do you have a link

for saying he continued past the age of 14 or 15?

[6000eliot]

91. Why are you so sure he stopped?

[pnwmom]

92. I'm not sure. I'm just asking for people to back up what they're saying. What I have read in

many places is about incidents in 2002 and 2003. I've seen nothing later than when he was 14 or 15.

What is the value to throwing around accusations that aren't supported by any evidence? I can't stand the Duggar family either but that doesn't mean its okay just to make stuff up. What was alleged in the police report is bad enough. Why do people feel the need to extend and embroider the story?

And my bottom line is and always has been: the parents are more responsible than a boy of 13, 14, or 15 who was raised in a very insular, warped culture. Adults are fully responsible for their actions. But he was still a kid.

[6000eliot]

96. This is my last response:

Why are you so invested in defending him?

[pnwmom]

97. I am defending the right of be children to be recognized as children.

And a 14 year old or 15 year old is still a child.

I also don't feel that they should be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty. They don't have the brain development to control their actions as an adult should be able to. The frontal cortex that is required for impulse control hasn't been fully developed.

[6000eliot]

100. Listen. I'm gay.

This asshole got paid until very recently for telling people to hate me. He deserves whatever he gets. Fuck him. Am I clear enough for you now?

[pnwmom]

101. I'm not defending his work, or anyone else's work, for that organization.

I'm speaking out on the principle of treating children as children in the legal system.

But I completely understand why you hate him and what he has been doing as an adult. I oppose that organization and all the cults it's related to. But I think the adults should be the focus, not teens caught up in that web. And he was a teen in 2002-2003.

[6000eliot]

102. What you are is history.

Goodbye.

[adigal]

133. +1000

How many calling for his figurative hanging want children of 14 executed?

People are going after Duggar for his parents' beliefs and actions, and not calming down and looking at his age. I've thought these Duggar people were screwy for years, but to treat a 14 year old like an adult in the eyes of a law because his parents are anti- gay is just wrong.

[duhneece]

140. I, too, thought along the same lines you are expresssing

but i was too chicken-shit to respond. Thank you.

[AC_Mem]

83. Youngest of the alleged sister victims

Was 4 years old.

He allegedly went up their shirts, up their dresses, pulled down their underware and fondled them while they slept.

I don't believe for one minute that there were only 4-5 incidents. This was a pervert brother who basically terrorized his sisters for who knows how long. The parents got caught lying about the "therapy". It was no such thing. They sent him to a friend for 4 months to do home remodeling and read scripture. Jim bob was a local politician. He was friends with a member of the police force ( who is now in prison for child porn surprise surprise) so basically, it got covered up.

A couple things that are starting to make sense. I always wondered about the no kissing till marriage, the awkward "side hugs" (no chest to chest contact allowed), the girls not beiallowed to speak to or text without being on group text with parents reading everything, Jim bob and michelle going on and on about women covering up so as not to "defraud" or tempt these poor weak men -- it all kind of makes sense now. The girls wore daddy rings on their left ring finger and only take them off when they are replaced with an engagement ring. Daddy's creepy comments to the kids before they got married and of course, all but dry humping michelle on a constant basis. Who was watching the little girls while mommy and daddy were making more babies?

Something else I've not seen discussed about this case. The family is part of a cult ministry of this guy named Goddard (accused of sexually molesting countless girls at their retreats). The family goes to these retreats all the time. There are pics of the girls with the head pervert, Goddard himself.

Just how deep does this go?

[pnwmom]

85. Do you have a link saying that the youngest who was molested was four? Just wondering,

because I've seen a lot of claims made without supporting evidence.

According to Wikipedia, he has four sisters who are within 6 years of him in age, and the 5th victim was a babysitter. What he did was WRONG and a CRIME no matter what the ages of the girls, but I haven't seen a report of a 4 year old victim. (Yes, he did have younger sisters, but I haven't seen a report stating the ages of his victims.)

I agree that the whole family system is sick. But I hold the parents far more responsible than a 14 or 15 year old raised in that isolated, sick family system.

[countryjake]

104. Pnwmom, the guy was raised to believe that females are inferior beings...

put on this planet only to obey and cleave to men. To claim that he hadn't yet developed enough self-control and simply succumbed to his raging hormones falls right in line with what that sick family preaches...that a female body puts out some sort of irresistible, evil siren call that blessed males can fall prey to if they're not careful.

That's total bullshit and you know it. When my big brother was fourteen, if he'd have snuck into my bed at night and fingered me up, he would have had the living shit beat right outta him, first by ME, then by my mother, and my daddy would have taken proper action to permanently end such perverted ways. Sixty years ago! This is a new millennium, for dog's sake! Now, there are laws.

Here are the links you've asked for...the creep's youngest victim is still a minor and yes, she was only four years old when her oldest brother allegedly penetrated her little body with his filthy fucking hands and who knows what else.

There's no excusing this; yes, the parents are both guilty of neglecting the care and safety of their children, but it is in no way normal or understandable for a teen to take such atrocious liberties with his younger sisters. That he got away with it, thanks to a twisted Duggar dogma, is absolutely disgusting.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6715110

[pnwmom]

105. Thank you for the link countryjake.

And I am not trying to diminish the seriousness of what he did.

But he obviously did not grow up in a home like yours or mine. Who knows what he was being taught by his sick parents, and at the age of 14, in his homeschooled isolation, who would he have had to teach him otherwise? After he confessed, his father took him to a child pornography collector/police officer. Doesn't that give you an idea of how incredibly twisted his home life was? How was he supposed to learn normal behavior in such a controlled, isolated, abnormal world?

He IS responsible for his behavior as a adult. I'm just talking about when he was a 13 or 14 year old kid, growing up in that warped environment. Is it any wonder that his behavior was warped by it?

[countryjake]

109. What of his sisters, the 10yr old, the 9yr old, the 8yr old, the 4yr old?

The warped environment that the many Duggar children were (and still are) trapped in, definitely could be cited as an underlying reason that such abuse happened in the first place and also, why those sexual assaults were allowed to continue to occur.

However, the fact that those little sisters went to their parents in a sad attempt to stop their brother's attacks tells me that they, even tho much younger than him, knew that what they were experiencing was NOT normal behavior, in any rational sense.

[pnwmom]

110. Yes, the girls knew it was wrong -- thank goodness. But I won't be surprised if it eventually

turns out that Josh was a person who had been molested himself, by someone in that insular community.

[countryjake]

112. I said in my first reply, females as inherent inferiors is what he was taught.

Have you ever even been personally aware of any of these abnormally large fundamentalist families?

Muriel volestrangler posted a very interesting thread this morning, with research into the connections between the Duggars and that incredibly twisted Gothard ministry. I'd wondered when I first read the police report from 2006 on Josh's sexual assaults if the "mentor" he was sent to as punishment could have been Bill Gothard, himself.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026715306

[pnwmom]

115. I haven't, till yesterday.

An acquaintance who escaped some years ago "came out" as a member of that cult.

Thanks for the link.

[brett_jv]

123. It always amazes me that even though we KNOW ... that abuse of minors begets abuse of minors

Committed by the one's who were victimized ... we STILL don't want to show any mercy towards the victim of the abuse ... who goes on to abuse ... as they were themselves abused.

In fact, the fact that we KNOW this vicious circle 'happens' is at least a part of why we consider this sort of abuse to be a 'bad thing'. Because you make MORE little child abusers ... by abusing children.

It really does amaze me, though, the consistent lack of compassion. We all 'allow for' and 'accept' various other sorts of atypical behavior that follow from abuse ... for example, if a previously abused kid ends up strung out on hard drugs we all go 'there, there, not really your fault' because we KNOW ... abuse f***s kids up.

But if the 14 year old abuse victim gropes his sleeping sister's mammary glands, well then it's BY GOD STRING THE SICK BASTARD UP BY HIS BALLS! HE'S OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER!

Look I'm not saying this dude WAS abused (although I'd argue the entire 'way of life' of these people constitutes a form of it), but there doesn't ever seem to be even a consideration of what ANYBODY who even vaguely resembles a 'sex offender' ... has been through themselves, and of what have might have 'made them that way' ... on this website.

Sorry to be all 'meta', but I find it disturbing, personally. I thought we were a bit more ... enlightened, as a whole. I guess the vitriol stems at least in part from the fact this guy is 'one of THEM', rather than 'one of US'.

[pnwmom]

126. I think you nailed it in your last sentence.

He is being perceived as "the other" -- therefore people's principles fly out the window.

But as you and I know, molesters are in all walks of life -- all skin colors, all religions (or non-religions). We're deluding ourselves if we think someone we trusted could never hurt someone close to us.

And how was a 14 year old raised in that twisted, isolated system supposed to know right from wrong? The only teachers he had were those sick parents. They're the ones I blame the most, not the kid.

(His adult actions he IS responsible for -- I have no problem with people who condemn his work with the FRC.)

[adigal]

134. This is why I'm disturbed by reactions here...I thought we were more educated

and more enlightened of what makes people abuse, and what constitutes an adult. How many screaming for Duggar's head and calling I'm a pedophile want other kids treated as adults by the law? Executed as adults? It's cause he's Conservative and anti-ga, and I understand the anger toward Duggar, the adult, but expected rational,thought over Duggar the 14 year old. People are even saying, "Once a pedophile, always a pedophile," and demanding his kids be taken away from him.

Disheartening, how vengeful we are.

[KristinDawn1088]

107. Those poor girls.

It sounds like some nightmare you can't wake up from, or a cult you can't escape from. It's looking more sick by the day

[Psephos]

38. you showed a bit of courage there yourself

You're right, his age, and his voluntary admissions, do not excuse him but do merit a humanistic response.

However, he's a member of Them, not Us, so he (and you) will get the full Old Testament treatment.

I like your style, pnwmom. You often take positions that cut across the grain, damn the torpedoes. I don't always agree with your opinions, but that actually makes them more valuable to me.

[pnwmom]

39. Thank you, Psephos.

Maybe it comes from being raised in a complicated family.I know deep down in my bones that things are often less clear-cut than they might seem.

And I am very wary of people piling on, without taking time to think through the circumstances.

And I especially wouldn't want to do that to someone who was a child at the time -- even if that child happened to have the misfortune of being born into a pathologically narcissistic family system like the Duggars.

[BlueJazz]

46. I'd like to praise you also. I believe you're correct in not screaming for his blood....

(like a few others). Understanding and kindness is a wonderful human trait and you show the best of both.

[pnwmom]

61. Thank you so much.

For various reasons, this was a nice thing to read today.

[Stonepounder]

47. I'm pretty much on your side, pnwmom.

I think there is a lot more 'playing doctor' among barely post-pubescent kids, particularly when sibs are reasonably close in age, that most people let on. I just really dislike hypocrisy and really dislike 'people of faith' deciding they know the mind of God.

[pnwmom]

66. I can't stand those parents and think narcissism is at the root of their whole family system.

And I fully agree with you about the hypocrisy and holier-than-thou attitude.

I just think people are focusing on the wrong target here -- it shouldn't be any of the kids raised by these people, especially on actions when they were still young. (Even if they went beyond playing doctor to sexual abuse. He was still, according to reports, a younger teen and still, IMHO, capable of change. Brain development -- especially impulse control -- keeps going on through the mid twenties. We shouldn't look on young people who've done things like this as hardened sexual criminals.)

[douggg]

84. molesting is not 'playing doctor'

[adigal]

131. Thank you for pointing this out. I'm stunned at the judgement of supposed liberals

On the behavior of a 14 year old. He was still a dumb kid. If he were my kid, I would have threatened him with bodily harm if he did it again, and gotten him and his victims to therapy ASAP.

But those calling for his arrest/jailing - do you think we should treat 14 year olds as adults in a court of law? Execute them? We don't, because they aren't adults. And to call a child who did this a "pedophile" weakens the definition of a real pedophile. Also, many young teens do things to family members because they are curious and stupid. I know - I teach high school and hear of stuff like this often.

And don't even get me started on those who said Lena Dunham was simply "curious." She did this for far longer than Duggar.

[dawnie51]

10. my takeaway on this.....

how badly did Ms. Anna want some of that Duggar fame and money to marry this guy knowing this going in?

[dbackjon]

13. Once a molester, always a molester

[pnwmom]

63. According to the reports, he was a young teen, and if he wasn't 5 years older than the victim,

then he doesn't meet the medical definition of being a molester. Do you know the relative difference in their ages? One was a babysitter, so she probably wasn't 5 years younger. And he was said to have touched a sister's breasts, which means she probably was within five years of him in age, too.

What he did was very wrong, but it isn't in the same class as an adult pedophile or molester.

[dbackjon]

65. One was 5 years old

And it happened for several years, so he was older than 14 when it ended.


Not sure why you are defending this creep.


So you are ok with him playing with his sister's genitals while she was sleeping?

[pnwmom]

72. Do you have a link for that? I haven't seen the victims or the ages clearly identified.

And the reports I've seen said the incidents took place over a year, not several years.

[dbackjon]

75. Based on the timeline one of them has to be

Look at Wikipedia and the ages of the younger sisters if he raped them then one of them had been the youngest who was five years old


And yes he raped them

[pnwmom]

77. He was the oldest of many. Why are you assuming he raped the youngest?

And where does it say he raped them? I didn't see that in the article with the police report

The Wikipedia article you mention says he fondled them -- which is wrong,and a serious crime, but isn't rape. And at least one of the victims was a babysitter, not a sister. So I'm not seeing where your idea is coming from that he raped a five year old.

[dbackjon]

78. He violated them in their genitals with his hand

That's rape

So are you saying if he just played around with his five-year-old sister that's okay as long as he didn't rape her?



I really don't understand why you continue to defend this sick pervert in his perverted hateful bigoted family

[pnwmom]

81. I said that fondling is a serious crime. Please don't put words in my mouth.

He shouldn't have been fondling ANY of his sisters, but I haven't seen any report that there was a five year old involved. And apparently you haven't either.

I also haven't seen anything saying that he was older than 14 or 15 when any of these incidents happened. And apparently you haven't either.

[dbackjon]

82. Are you just trying to be argumentative and can't concede the point that you were wrong

Logic dictates that one of the children molested was five years old there's no way to escape that fact

It astounds me that someone on this website would defend a vile scum like the Duggar boy

You've been proven wrong on this yet you keep doubling down on it

[pnwmom]

86. Logic does not dictate that and neither does simple math.

He has four sisters within 6 years of his age. He was 14. Do the math. You can manage that much.

(The 5th victim was an unrelated babysitter.)

[Owl]

89. Why are you so defensive and supportive of that asshole?

[pnwmom]

93. Right. Because asking for factual information is being defensive and supportive.

But as to your question, I disagree with people who want to write off ANY young teenager -- and he was only 13-14 in 2002-2003 -- as irredeemably evil.

I think the focus should be on the parents and other adults in the cult -- not on the children, male or female, and how they behaved while trapped in the system.

[StevieM]

95. The police report was destroyed because one of his victims is still a minor.

The assaults took place in 2002 and 2003. It is currently 2015 so it happened 12 or 13 years ago.

Only one Duggar sister who was alive when the assaults happened is still a minor today. She was born on October 28, 1997. So she would have been 4 or 5 when Josh was molesting her.

[pnwmom]

99. Do you know when it was destroyed? When the 3 year statute of limitations expired he had more than one

sister who was still a minor.

But thanks for being the first person who could explain why people are making this assumption.

[StevieM]

106. It was destroyed yesterday, as I understand it.

My understanding is that it was destroyed yesterday at the request of one of the victims, who is still a minor. It required a judge's authorization.

I guess it hadn't been destroyed until now because no one requested that it be. That would have required going to a judge, which would have potentially gotten some publicity or left a paper trail--or at least the Duggars might have feared that happening.

[duhneece]

141. She is not alone.

Many of us DUers see her point, her logic, her compassion...even while we recognize the harm done by him. If we don't start seeing with more logic and compassion-yes, even for the perps, we cannot end violence against women and girls.

[dbackjon]

144. So to protect women we have to protect the molesters?

That makes ZERO sense

[duhneece]

146. These are our sons and our daughters

...do you only propose shaming, imprisoning, ??? the molesters, the perpetrators of sexual assault?
I want everyone safe. I want no one to be abused, molested, hit, beat, rape...we need to address those who commit the crimes, the sins against the less powerful, but not as monsters.

[AC_Mem]

113. So then pnwmom...

You would have had no problem letting your preteen and even younger daughters, live in the house for a year or more with this male brother who did the "wrong" thing and made "mistakes"? If this were happening on your watch, it would be excusable because of his age?

I'm sorry, I'm not hard hearted, but I have someone who is very close to me who went through this. In the case of JD, (1) it was not an isolated, or even rare occurrence; it was ongoing for at the very least a year and almost certainly much longer with MANY CHILDREN (2) he did NOT receive psychological treatment, which obviously was desperately needed, instead he was shipped off to learn how to remodel a house- a skill that came in handy when he returned and helped daddy build their 7000 sq ft Lego home (coincidence?) (3) because he was disciplined and "cured" with hard labor, punishment and scripture, they felt he had control over his impulses to fondle little children? And now has three with one on the way (2 girls) and probably more to come? I'm sick about the whole fundamentalist culture, the cults like this and FLDS who think nothing of mind fu$king and abusing their women and children while elevating the males to the level of gods.

It makes me sick and my heart breaks for the girls who were made to feel that somehow, something in them contributed to this. This will be with each of them for life. They are molested by their own brother and taught from the cradle that the male is the godhead of the house, the spiritual leader. What a mixed message this instills. They spend their days raising their mothers babies, cooking and cleaning, laying in fear of going to sleep by night.

[pnwmom]

116. No, I wouldn't allow that.

I think everything about the way the parents handled this was WRONG and that what the young man did was WRONG.

But I'm saying the focus of people's fury should be more on the responsible parents and less on the 14 year old who had grown up in this twisted system. Josh should be responsible for his actions as an adult, yet; but his parents get the biggest share of the blame, IMO, for the way he acted out when he was a teen. A victim of his isolated, brainwashed culture, he literally may not have known any better. Because who did he have to teach him right from wrong? Only his parents and other members of the cult.

[adigal]

136. I do have to ask you, although I agree with 99% of what you say

What was the factor in the Lena Dunham situation? She was raised by very liberal parents, not crazy fundies?

Or the excuse of the boy who did the same to my sister when she was 8. He was raised in a "good" catholic family with a father who was a respected doctor?

This transcends religion and politics.

[pnwmom]

145. I'm only vaguely aware of her situation, but I don't remember many DUers here condemning her.

Last edited Tue May 26, 2015, 06:21 PM - Edit history (1)

And, as I recall, she was only 7 herself -- prepubescent -- and her little sister didn't view it as molestation.

You are right about this transcending religion and politics. I know two victims, personally, and one was the victim of a political conservative and the other, a liberal.

But this young man was brought up in an extremely isolated way. No TV, no school, no friends outside the cult. So he was that much more dependent on his parents, and only his parents, to teach him right from wrong.

[adigal]

135. Stop saying things that aren't true - sheesh, logic is scarce around here

Pmwmom said his finding his sisters is wrong. How does that translate to she would let her daughters stay with him?WTF, really?

Do you think 14 year olds should be tried as adults? Executed as adults? If not, why are you and others accusing him as an adult? He was 14. His father should have threatened his ass if he looked at his sisters again, and gotten hîm into therapy. Blame to the parents here. But a 14 year old who,does this is to an irredeemable pervert. It happens a LOT.

And where did you stand on Lena Dunham, the child abusing pervert?

[tabasco]

14. Another repressed, hateful fundie asshole

exposed as a criminal pervert.

[adigal]

137. And Lena Dunham? What is her excuse? Nt

[americannightmare]

16. What is it, nineteen goddam children now?...

There's sure to be another degenerate in that bunch! How could you possibly give adequate love and attention to three children, let alone nineteen???

[Heddi]

17. I thought it was weird that his wife looks *exceptionally* similar to his sisters

I have never watched one second of this ridiculous TV show, but have seen photos of this asshole and his wife as they popup trying to call gays, lesbians, and transgender folks deranged, damaged, and with pedophillic tendencies. The first time I saw the wife I didn't realize it was the wife. I thought it was one of his sisters. The similarity between the wife and the sisters, to me, really stands out.

I hope his daughters (one born, one on the way) as well as the incoming hundreds of dozens of nieces and nephews are kept far away from this fucking pervert.

[StevieM]

28. You're saying that Josh Duggar actually said that LGBT people are pedophiles?

I heard that his mom had made those kinds of comments, but this is the first I am hearing that he has too. That is remarkable.

And I don't think he will be kept from his daughters. As I understand it, he told his wife about this before they got married. And she still married him.

[Heddi]

30. I have no idea which clone-mouth those words came from. The asshole works for AFA

which says that Gays are pedophiles and fuck donkeys and all other kinds of horse-shit. One does not work with a virulently anti-gay company without sharing anti-gay viewpoints.

Did he actually say the words 'gay people are pedophiles"? I have no fucking idea. But he works for the goddamned American Family Association and he belongs to the Duggar clan. His parents, his siblings, and his job of choice have all voiced destructively anti-gay rhetoric. He is guilty by association

[cheapdate]

34. Amen to that!

[StevieM]

35. Are you angry about something I wrote in my post?

You wrote "I have no f***ing idea" so I am not sure if that was meant to indicate that you felt I said something upsetting to you.

FYI, Duggar worked for the Family Research Council, not the AFA. The FRC is every bit as evil.

I didn't doubt that Josh, like the rest of his family, was a hateful homophobe. I was just surprised by the thought that he would actually be smearing people as pedophiles when he was one himself. I guess I shouldn't be though....it's par for the course with these people.

[Heddi]

36. Not angry with you!! angry that these hateful bigots are millionaires with tv shows

That TLC gives them a pulpit for their bronze-age bullshit view of the world, and having that show has given this clan of fuck up mouth breathing inbred illiterate fucks some legitimacy for their backwards and damaging views about all kinds of shit : gays, Transgender folks, science, atheists, abortion....

Fuck all of them. They all deserve to rot

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

45. Just like the Duck Dynasty inbreds.

[riderinthestorm]

40. The FRC's position is that homosexuality is linked to pedophilia.

its one of their main talking points.

So yeah, Josh as the executive in charge of lobbying would have been parroting the FRCs official line.

[avebury]

143. Yup that is prett

Much what he said.

[jaxind]

18. Very Surprised

Very surprised that one of the Duggar kids could do something like this...they are Christians, right, and that makes them so perfect, right? (sarcasm)

[Arugula Latte]

53. I wonder if the "He is not a REAL Christian," no-true-Scotsman types will show.

[Hoppy]

19. Why is Bill Clinton in the last row of the photo?

Is he a second cousin, three times removed?

[Hoppy]

21. Why do fundies have a smarmy look that makes you want to

shower after coming in contact with them?

[shenmue]

22. Big article at Wonkette too

[pnwmom]

24. Yes. And that article shows that the focus here on the actions of a 13-14 year old may be misplaced.

It seems like he was part of a very sick family -- and could well have been a victim himself, like many molesters have been.

IOW, I blame the parents more than I blame the young teen.

http://wonkette.com/586273/police-report-gross-josh-duggar-allegedly-admitted-molesting-his-own-sisters

[shenmue]

25. Uh, no. Not misplaced.

[pnwmom]

26. You think the FOCUS should be on the individual 13-14 year old rather than his parents

who failed to take action, and on the sick family system?

[dbackjon]

68. ON both

Both the sick parents, and the psychopath son.

[Owl]

88. Absolutely!

[adigal]

138. When you throw terms like "psychopath son" for the actions of a 14 year old

Who crossed serious boundaries, but was 14, do you wonder why families hide this? The kid needed his ass kicked, followed by some therapy. Not the electric chair. You are hysterical and illogical over this. And my sister was molested, so I'm not unaware of the effects on the victims, but he was a KID.

[underpants]

129. Thanks for the link n/t

[mackerel]

37. Doesn't TLC vet there shows?

[7wo7rees]

41. And so it begins.The great unraveling of the Duggar family.

Knew it was coming from somewhere.

So very thrilled to see it be Josh. Family Research Council and all.

Quivering cult be dead. One can o my hope.

Duggan channel on TLC be over.

Oh Happy Day!!!

Finally!!!!!!!!

[LeftyMom]

42. By "counseling" he means he went to ALERT and his sisters went to Journey to the Heart,

which are attitude adjustment/reindoctrination camps for wayward Gothardite teenagers.

Bill Gothard, perhaps not coincidentally, had to step down from his position after abusing many, many young women at JTTH and other ATI events. The Duggar girls are EXACTLY his type (brunettes with long wavy hair.) You can go read the accounts for yourself, they're often very blunt about what girls he targeted and how predictable this was.

So I wouldn't assume that "counseling" that isn't did anything positive for his sisters at all. At BEST it was useless or piled on some more religiosity and shame, and there's a very real possibility that it just sent them to another predator.

[Stryst]

122. Something I've been wondering about with all of this...

The reports keep saying that he molested several girls, including his sisters. Where are the parents of these other girls he molested? Did they even know about this?

[LeftyMom]

125. There was one other girl in the police report.

The report isn't clear who she was, but I've heard it was the daughter of another AR state politician. Not one with a national profile, but another bible banging Baptist who was/is? a good friend of Jim Bob's. The only fallout I'm aware of was that they canceled Josh's betrothal* to their daughter (and to be clear she was also assaulted while napping, it wasn't normal teenage touchy feely nonsense) and then resumed it after he got a talking to from Jim Bob and then canceled it permanently when he was caught in the same behavior again.

They didn't go to the law that I know of, but the whole religious and political movement these people live in is squeamish about any encroachment of the state into the family, so that's really unsurprising.

Their whole social circle knew. Probably by the usual means of the church prayer chain/rumor mill.

Hell, I'd heard about it years ago (but I figured the odds were 50/50 it was a malicious rumor that grew in the telling) and I just read about crazy fundamentalists on the internet.

*underage engagements and even marriages are a thing among these people

[workinclasszero]

43. Thank god this fine upstanding christian warrior

is on the front lines protecting the sacred institution of marriage against TEH GAYS!!!



Oh wait.......


Republican family values strike AGAIN!!!!

[rizlaplus]

44. So 'past mistakes' now become

a euphemism for child abuse!

[Tom Ripley]

49. Does this mean that Babyhead Siblingdiddler will have to find another lobbying "job"?

[benld74]

50. Our yougest daughter (13) watches their show,,,

I cringed but what can you do? She said, they seem like nice people,,,.

I saw one episode where Josh was moving the family to D.C. and they were looking at homes. My internal siren went off -
WHAT JOB could he have gotten that allows him to purchase a million dollar home??? Based upon his education and experience????


That's the other side of the story as they say

[dbackjon]

70. You could be a responsible parent

And not let her watch this filth.


Would you let her watch a show about a "nice set of white supremists"?

Why the hell would you let her watch a show about a hate-filled, bigoted family that crusades against gays?

[benld74]

74. Because she DOESNT know about that part of them

when she gets older she will know. ALL our kids know both sides of the coin,,,,

[dbackjon]

76. They never should be exposed to that

Would you let her watch porn or anything violent and bloody at that age?

No dear friend

[treestar]

114. cool off

and back off. Are you that controlling of your teenagers? They have to have a little leeway. And there's nothing on the show itself about it.

[benld74]

120. thanks, coudnt seem to say anything right there

[notadmblnd]

51. I wonder where he learned thät sort of behavior?

Sunday school? Daddy? If he had such a good upbringing, home schooled, no television, just where did he get the idea to engage in sex abuse and incest?

[workinclasszero]

52. Home schooled, no surprise

Keep it all, and I mean ALL in the family, eh Duggars?

No satanic public schools for your little child molester, oh helz naw!

So yeah, who taught him that lesson Daddy? hmm?

Cat got your tongue?????

[Novara]

54. Yeah, and I'll bet none of his victims ever got counseling either

You know, those great, moral Christian values. The ones that made his parents try and keep this under wraps.

What the hell, girls are dispensable anyway.

[George II]

55. WHAT? According to Wikipedia, he was 19 when he got married in 1984. How could he be a "teenager"

in 2002?

[StevieM]

56. I think it was Jim Bob Duggar who was 19 in 1984. Josh Duggar is Jim Bob's son. (eom)

[George II]

57. OH......gee, there are so many it's tought to keep track of them! (haha)

[TexasBushwhacker]

58. Did law enforcement decline to prosecute

because 4 of the victims were his sisters? Did they figure they couldn't get the daughters to testify against their brother? I'm guessing the other girl was a family friend and probably a member of their church. I realize there is a statute of limitations, but I would think that something could/should have been done? At the very least, the family should have been investigated by CPS to see if the molestation was continuing. They should also have investigated to find out if Josh had been abused himself, because abusers have often been victims.

In regards to TLC, they had to have known! 17 Kids & Counting didn't air until 2008. The crimes had been investigated in 2006, in no small part because Oprah forwarded an e-mailed tip to the authorities.

Sexual abuse of children isn't usually an isolated incident. There is a chain or web of abuse. We've seen this in the Catholic church scandal.

[pnwmom]

62. One of the victims was a babysitter, but the incidents were are all past the statute of limitations.

And once the statutory period is over, they can't prosecute.

Hopefully CPS did do an investigation to make sure there was nothing ongoing. That would be important -- but I haven't read anything about that.

But he would have been an adult by the time this came to light and they couldn't force an adult to come forward with information about being molested himself.

[samsingh]

59. he brought a lot of his personal skills and beliefs to that organization

[hrmjustin]

64. This whole story is creepy.

And Huckabee defending him is just disgusting.

[TexasBushwhacker]

79. Another example of Huck's "persecuted Christians" n/t

[hrmjustin]

80. Horrible man.

[davidpdx]

103. The only good thing about Huckabee defending him is that he's kneecapped himself

I have a feeling he's not going to run. I know we should be sad about that given how much he adds to the Republican field of candidates. *cough* He's a hypocritical homophobic bigot. The nicest thing I might be able to say to him is that I hope he gets struck in the head by lightening.

[Gore1FL]

87. He apparently has a lot of experience researching family. Now everyone needs counseling.

I wonder why he resigned. He seems perfect for the job.

[hamsterjill]

94. The victims

This stupid cult teaches that women are the ones who entice men into doing things they shouldn't.

Jim Bob didn't do anything for over a year even though there were several accusers of Josh.

It sickens me the lack of value and respect that these victims received in all of this. I'm sure the sisters were made to feel that they did something to deserve what happened.

Sick. Sick. And more sick. This show needs to be cancelled and the Duggar's gravy train (which is what the show is REALLY about) needs to come to an end. They are not celebrities. They are a bunch of deviant weirdos.

Great article here:
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/05/22/the-duggars-dangerous-cult-of-purity/

[greenfish]

98. Huckabee sucks

[4lbs]

108. "Damn Josh, when we said 'family values' we didn't mean THAT!!!!"

Eh, not surprising from a member of a family that thinks 18 isn't enough.

[secondwind]

111. what about the victims? are they receiving counseling? they have to face their molester at

family gatherings, and they are obliged to SUPPRESS their feelings!

not right.

[yellowcanine]

118. "past teenage mistakes" yeah right. Makes it sound like a shoplifting incident.

Last edited Mon May 25, 2015, 10:40 AM - Edit history (1)

Or getting drunk on your grad night and wrecking the family car. Those are teenage mistakes.
Molesting 5 young girls over a period of several years are not teenage mistakes. They are sexual crimes.

[Matariki]

119. So. Completely. Predictable.

[hopeforchange2008]

121. Tip of the iceberg with that creepy family /nt

[d_r]

124. ok I don't know these people from Adam

but the OP made me google the guy because I wondered what training and education he had to be the "executive director" of the "Family Research Council." Wouldn't you think that would be a Ph.D. sort of title?

Josh, like the rest of the Duggar kids who are over 18, has a GED but no college education. (The Duggars frown on mainstream education and all the kids were homeschooled.)

I don't even begin to get this stuff.

[brett_jv]

127. I'm just going to blurt this out, just cause I've long wondered ...

Not only what 'the answer' was, but also what the reaction would be to my simply asking the question ...

What if 'pedos' ... are 'born that way'?

We all assume (I'd imagine primarily because we hate these 'people', i.e. the Duggars) that if this kid was doing what he did, he must have 'learned it' somehow.

Seems 'logical', I guess ... But we don't actually 'know that', do we?

So what is possibility of, and the ramifications of discovering it to be the case ... that some people are simply 'born pedo'?

Surely if we can entertain the notion that people in general are 'born to be' various 'ways' ... then being pedo should logically fall into the category of 'possibilities', could it not?

As an aside, I would point out this 'question' ... is exactly why I personally NEVER argue the 'born that way' argument when it comes to being gay. I argue that 'it's okay to be gay, to love, and have sex with your own gender, PERIOD', and stay entirely away from the 'born that way' approach that some folks take. Because it's a crappy argument ... sorry to say to those of you who've made it.

The fact that we (as liberals) DO make that argument is EXACTLY what leads the Cons to bring up being pedophiles and zoophiles and all that stuff (you know, the stuff that seems like a total non-sequitur to US?)

To them it's NOT a non-sequitur. THEY bring that (actually) deviant stuff up because they believe that you could be 'born' ... any of those things. And just because you're 'born that way', doesn't make it 'okay' ... in any of those other cases, now does it?

What makes being gay 'okay' is NOT related to it being 'how your were born', it's OKAY because the act of physical love with someone of your own gender is okay on its face.

One does not need to make excuses for being gay like 'well, I can't help it, I was born that way!' F-that. It's okay because it's okay, PERIOD.

[adigal]

139. He was not a pedophile, he was a minor himself

Please, don't throw that term around,it weakens it.

And many kids do these things - the difference is sane adults stop it immediately and get the kids therapy. A 14 year old who does this is not automatically going to grow up to be a pedophile.

[agent46]

128. Compulsive breeding for God

Compulsive breeding for God breeds demons. I'm only surprised it took this long for an ugly public meltdown to happen. Now I expect a feeding frenzy of media gossip to extend profitability for the brand until contracts expire. The salacious angle and the fall from grace always sell.

[Novara]

130. I'm glad for the exposure....

....on this cult. The submission of all women, the uber-breeding, the homeschooling. They make the Amish look positively advanced by comparison.

In addition, any Republican who defends them is making a complete ass out of himself, and I'm always grateful when they make asses of themselves.

[Farmbrook]

142. Many 14 year olds pedophiles are sitting in Juvenile Jails or adult prisons now - mostly minorities

To the defenders of Josh because of his age, why are you not advocating the release of young underage offenders sitting in jails right now for similar crimes. Such HYPOCRITES. If Josh was black and poor, would you be saying the same thing. Give me a break! He belongs in prison just like the other young offenders.

By the way would a minority with that little education hold such a position? I think not! This whole thing speaks of the inequality of our justice system.