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JOSH DUGGAR CHILLING MOLESTATION CONFESSION IN NEW POLICE REPORT
InTouch Weekly
Josh Duggar confessed to his father Jim Bob Duggar on THREE separate occasions to multiple acts of sexual molestation against his sisters and a family friend, according to a new police report obtained exclusively by In Touch magazine. The document also makes clear that Josh was 15 years old when he molested his 5-year-old sister and committed at least SEVEN acts of sexual molestation. The new report is from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and was obtained by In Touch using the Freedom of Information Act. In Touch broke the story about Josh’s dark past and previously obtained and published a Springdale Police Department report about the molestations, also by using FOIA. With fewer redactions than the first report, the Washington County Sheriff’s document makes it clear that despite Josh’s chilling confessions the Duggars waited at least 16 months before contacting authorities about the molestations, even though the behavior was continuing and growing worse. During that period they did not get professional counseling for Josh or his victims. Legal experts tell In Touch that Jim Bob and Michelle could have faced six years in prison for their inaction, if the statute of limitations had not expired. “James said that in March of 2002 [redacted, Josh] who had just turned 14, came to him very upset and crying,” the new report reads. “James said that [redacted, Josh] had told him that he had been sneaking into [redacted, his sisters’] room at night and had been touching [redacted, his sisters] on the breasts and vaginal areas while they were sleeping.” The report details that Josh went from sister to sister, stating, “Apparently all of the girls were sleeping in a common room at this time.” The sheriff’s document also shows the extent of Josh’s abuse. “[Redacted, Josh] told James that this had occurred 4 to 5 times and had occurred as [redacted] was sleeping on the couch.” As In Touch reports exclusively in its new issue, despite Josh’s confession, Jim Bob and Michelle did not get him – or their daughters -- counseling from a licensed mental health professional for at least 16 months. They have said the children did receive counseling but refuse to say if it was court ordered after the Families In Need of Services and the Arkansas Department of Human Services became involved in the Duggar case. Several legal experts tell In Touch that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar could have faced up to six years in prison for their actions and been charged with Permitting Abuse of a Minor (Arkansas Code 5-27-221). The new police report continues to raise questions about why Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar failed to act in alerting authorities despite Josh’s repeated confessions of sexual molestation and why they didn’t do more to protect their daughters. By the time police launched their investigation in 2006, the statute of limitations had expired and police turned the matter over to social services. The Duggars did eventually take Josh to a a state trooper Joseph Hutchens. But Hutchens, who is serving 56 years in prison, said in an interview from behind bars that Jim Bob and Josh told him about only one incident and that’s why he didn’t report it to the child abuse hotline. The new police report states only that Jim Bob said when they visited Hutchens Josh “had admitted to Cpl Hutchins (sic) what he had done.” The police did not independently verify that. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office turned their investigation over to Springdale police for jurisdiction reasons.
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