Prosecution rests in Duggar child porn trial

FAYETTEVILLE -- Prosecutors rested Monday morning in the child pornography trial of Josh Duggar, and the defense began presenting its case.

Duggar, 33, of Springdale, is charged in federal court with two counts involving receiving and possessing child pornography. He faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 on each count if convicted.

U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks denied a motion to dismiss the case for lack of evidence, saying prosecutors have provided enough evidence to create a question for the jury.

The government called witnesses who testified Duggar had asked them about installing a computer partition and a Linux operating system. The government contends Duggar did the installation on a computer at his car lot in order to avoid an accountability application that would notify his wife if he tried to access inappropriate content.

The prosecution also called a witness who testified Duggar admitted to her that he had inappropriately touched at least four minor females when he was a teenager. The government contends that shows a propensity to engage in child molestation.

Duggar, best known for being part of his family's cable television reality show, is accused of using the internet in May 2019 to download and possess the material, some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children younger than 12, according to court documents.

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