Josh Duggar seeks new trial or acquittal in child porn case

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Former reality TV star Josh Duggar has asked a federal judge for a new trial or an acquittal, a little over a month after he was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography.

A jury convicted Duggar last month of one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography. A sentencing date hasn’t been set for Duggar, who faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 for each count.

In a court filing Wednesday, Duggar’s attorneys argued that prosecutors failed to present evidence that Duggar “knew that the visual depictions were of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct,” which they say is a necessary element for a conviction.

Federal authorities said they began investigating Duggar after a Little Rock police detective found that child porn files were being shared by a computer traced to Duggar. A federal agent testified in May that images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, were downloaded in 2019 onto a computer at a car dealership Duggar owned.