Josh Duggar’s child pornography conviction appeal denied by court

Disgraced reality television star Josh Duggar has been denied an appeal for his child pornography conviction by a federal court.

The “19 Kids and Counting” alum’s request for a new trial was rejected by the 8th U.S. Circuit of Appeals on Monday.

“We disagree with the reasoning of the Court’s decision and will evaluate all options with our client,” Duggar’s attorney told Fox News Digital.

JOSH DUGGAR’S 12.5-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CONVICTION EXTENDED BY ALMOST 2 MONTHS

A federal appeals court upheld “19 Kids and Counting” alum Josh Duggar’s conviction for downloading child sexual abuse images. Duggar was rejected for a new trial. (Washington County Detention Center via AP, File)

A federal jury in Arkansas found Duggar, 35, guilty in December 2021 on charges related to the receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Last May, he was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Duggar was transferred from Washington County Jail in his home state of Arkansas to FCI Seagoville in Texas last June.

Federal authorities investigated him after Little Rock police detectives found child sexual abuse material was being shared by a computer traced to him. Investigators testified that images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, were downloaded in 2019 onto a computer at a car dealership Duggar owned.

Josh Duggar poses with wife Anna. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)

Duggar’s attorneys argued that statements he made to investigators during the search of the dealership should not have been allowed at trial since his attorney wasn’t present. Prosecutors said Duggar asked the agents, “‘What is this all about? Has somebody been downloading child pornography?” and that he declined to say whether he had looked at such material online, comments that were later used as evidence in the trial.

JOSH DUGGAR SEEN SMILING IN MUGSHOT PHOTO AFTER RECEIVING GUILTY VERDICT IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY TRIAL

The appeals panel said in its ruling that Duggar wasn’t arrested at the termination of the questioning.

Josh Duggar’s 12.5-year prison sentence was extended to October 2032. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)

“To the contrary, he ended the interview on his own and then left the dealership – hardly an option available to someone in custody,” the court ruled.

The court also dismissed Duggar’s argument that his attorneys should have been able to ask about the prior sex offense conviction of a former employee of the dealership who had used the same computer. His attorneys did not ask the former employee to testify after the judge ruled they could not mention the prior conviction.

The panel ruled that the judge in the case struck the right balance by allowing the former employee to be questioned without bringing up the past conviction. The court also rejected his challenge to the qualifications of the analyst who testified that metadata on the former reality star’s iPhone connected him to the crime.

Josh Duggar poses for a booking photo after his arrest April 29, 2021, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images)

JOSH DUGGAR’S WIFE ANNA LEAVES COURT EMOTIONLESS AFTER FORMER TV STAR CONVICTED OF CHILD PORN POSSESSION

Duggar appeared alongside his father, mother, nine brothers and nine sisters on the TLC reality series “19 Kids and Counting,” which ran from 2008 to 2015.

Allegations against Duggar date back to 2006, when authorities received a tip from a family friend that accused him of molesting four of his sisters and a babysitter years earlier. However, the investigation ended after it was concluded that the statute of limitations had passed on any possible charges.

Josh Duggar, former executive director of the Family Research Council Action, spoke at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, on Aug. 9, 2014. (Reuters)

The allegations re-emerged in 2015, leading to the cancellation of “19 Kids and Counting.”

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Duggar originally had a release date of Aug. 12, 2032. In March, online prison records for him indicated that his release was pushed back until Aug. 22, 2032. However, the records now cite his release date as Oct. 2, 2032.

Josh Duggar’s parents, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, have always stood by their son. (Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

The reality star has been serving his sentence at low-security federal prison FCI Seagoville near Dallas.

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Fox News Digital’s Ashley Hume and The Associated Press contributed to this report.