Josh Duggar was sent off to a Christian rehab center twice as a child for looking at porn. His sister Jill, 32, shared new details about her brother, 35, in her new book Counting The Cost. In one chapter, she revealed that Josh had been sent to the Institute in Basic Life Principles treatment center after he was caught looking at pornography.
Jill revealed that her brother was first sent away in 2003, after he was allegedly caught molesting young girls. Jill has accused her older brother of sexually abusing her. He was 15 years old at the time. The second time he went was when he was looking at porn. “A few years after he was sent away the first time, Josh was sent away again when he was caught looking at pornography,” she wrote, per Insider.
The reality star also shared details about the IBLP’s philosophy on treatment. “The IBLP ‘encouraged parents to clip their children’ wings’ and keep them in the ‘role of dependent children’ as long as possible,” she said. She said that Josh was the only child her dad Jim Bob “couldn’t prevent from making mistakes.”
Josh was convicted on charges of giving and receiving child pornography in December 2021. He is currently serving a 12.5-year sentence in prison. He’s also been banned from unsupervised visits with his seven children as part of the sentencing.
After Josh was sentenced, Jill weighed in on his trial in a blog post. “We are neither rejoicing nor disappointed by the sentence, but we are thankful it’s finally over,” she wrote. “The Bible clearly states that God effects justice and vengeance through the governing authorities. Though some believe Josh should have received a greater sentence and still fewer believe he should have received a lighter sentence, God has carried out his vengeance today for his unspeakable criminal activity.”
Jill did share more thoughts about her brother’s conviction in her memoir. She shared that she felt “so much anger” for what Josh had done. “I wanted Josh to be put away for a very long time,” she wrote. “I felt sad too. Sad that Josh had become such a monster; sad that even with all the chances Josh had been given to change, he had thrown them away as he continued down a dark, terrible road.”