Josh Duggar asks court for release from jail, claims he isn’t a flight risk in child pornography case: report
Duggar claims his "recognizable face" disallows him from fleeing ahead of trial
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Josh Duggar petitioned the court for a release from jail amid a looming trial in his child pornography case.
The "19 Kids and Counting" star, 33, has been charged with possessing child pornography and pleaded not guilty to said allegations in a federal Arkansas court on Friday.
Now, Duggar maintains to the court that he is not a flight risk and should be let out of jail pending trial in order to care for his large family and pregnant wife Anna Duggar, according to a legal filing by the used car salesman, according to TMZ.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The pair are already parents to six children, the oldest of which was born in 2009.
When charges were brought against Duggar, U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Erin L. Wiedemann said that if the reality star were to be released on bond, he would have to be in a residence where there’s no minor in the home, according to a release from the US Attorney’s Office.
JOSH DUGGAR WON'T BE ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME WITH HIS SIX CHILDREN IF HE'S RELEASED ON BAIL
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Josh Dugger, former star of '19 Kids and Counting,' has been arrested in Arkansas. (Washington County Police Department)
However, Duggar maintains that he will abide by all conditions of his bail if granted by the court.
Duggar presses that because he "has no criminal convictions, and has known about this federal criminal investigation since November 2019 when Homeland Security Investigations executed a search of Duggar’s prior workplace," he is no more a flight risk than any other celebrity with an identifiable mug.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Through his attorneys Travis Story and Justin Gelfand, Duggar’s pitch to the feds is that he "has a widely-recognizable face and has spent the majority of his life in the public spotlight — making any concern that he is a risk of flight all the more unwarranted."
He added, according to the gossip site that because the federal court allowed Duggar to voluntarily self-surrender under his own recognizance that it should, in turn, let him out of jail on bail.
Josh Duggar will reportedly not be allowed to return to his home with wife Anna and their six children if he is released on bail. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)
Duggar's attorney is requesting he be released on bond. A trial date for his case was set for July 6, with a pre-trial hearing scheduled for July 1. Prior to trial and based on his request to be released from jail on bond the judge issued the order.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}JOSH DUGGAR ARRESTED IN ARKANSAS
"Given the nature of the charges against him, the court would likely require a third-party custodian that he could reside with and that would ensure compliance with conditions of bond so you all would need to get that line out and inform our probation office of who that person is so they could interview that person," Wiedemann said.
Duggar is accused of allegedly using "the internet to download child sexual abuse material. Duggar allegedly possessed this material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019," the federal release states.
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A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Duggar is charged by indictment. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 on each count.
Reps for Duggar did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Fox News' Melissa Roberto and Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.