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Nasty Jack

(350 posts)
Fri Jun 5, 2015, 04:13 PM Jun 2015

Did the Duggars Play the Statute of Limitations Game?

Did the statute of limitations in Arkansas naturally expire on Josh Duggar's molestations or were they negligently misinterpreted for the sake of the Duggar family? It's bad enough this guy molested four of his sisters, one age 5, and a friend, but it is something else if the Duggar family intentionally delayed reporting the acts and law enforcement incompetence created further delays. One attorney, Marci A. Hamilton, a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law says, she interprets Arkansas law as being seven years from time of the incident when the molestation affects a minor, rather than the normal three. She continued, that was even allowed to expire by the Duggars and Arkansas law enforcement, meaning “it’s over.” No one can explain why charges were not pursued following the forwarding of the police report to the juvenile prosecutor.

The Duggars are very politically connected, as I pointed out in an earlier post. Politico reported on this at about the same time the end of May. GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee leads the pack in supporting the Duggars with his wife, Janet, very close behind, as do many other Republicans in the running. Arkansas police destroyed the records of Josh Duggar's nearly decade-old molestation case on the order of Judge Stacey Zimmerman; the judge refused to comment on these actions. Media outlets that knew about this at the time included the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the then on the air, "Oprah Winfrey Show." Still, nothing was done.

The family, law enforcement and the media remained silent while these children were being traumatized by a depraved Josh Duggar.

Nasy Jack
11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Did the Duggars Play the Statute of Limitations Game? (Original Post) Nasty Jack Jun 2015 OP
This is a terrible story, these girls did not have trachers they could confide in, Thinkingabout Jun 2015 #1
One damn good example of why it is so difficult for an abused female to get out of the situation Stargazer99 Jun 2015 #4
It must not be known the abuser is usually the controller also. Thinkingabout Jun 2015 #5
IMO they did just that LiberalElite Jun 2015 #2
In one word or less: Hong Kong Cavalier Jun 2015 #3
What I'm really wondering Proud Liberal Dem Jun 2015 #6
You make some very good points davidpdx Jun 2015 #7
So many questions. Proud Liberal Dem Jun 2015 #8
I wonder how it came out now? marshall Jun 2015 #9
A tabloid got a hold of the police report from what I have seen davidpdx Jun 2015 #10
I thought juvenile records were "sealed" marshall Jun 2015 #11

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)
1. This is a terrible story, these girls did not have trachers they could confide in,
Fri Jun 5, 2015, 04:46 PM
Jun 2015

Did not have access to tv to hear it was okay to report this abuse. Then the mother makes the statement the girls have "forgiven" him because him because he is a male. This is really troubling, now these young girls has been taught it is okay to be abused by a man and they should forgive the men. I dont know if they tried to wait out the statue of limitations or whether they were more interested in continuing their show.

Stargazer99

(2,599 posts)
4. One damn good example of why it is so difficult for an abused female to get out of the situation
Sat Jun 6, 2015, 10:02 AM
Jun 2015

I get so damn sick and tired of the ignorant who say "well why didn't she just leave?" Which happens to be the time most likely the female will die from her abuser

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,438 posts)
6. What I'm really wondering
Sat Jun 6, 2015, 12:14 PM
Jun 2015

is how did they seem to know to take Josh to THAT one particular state trooper who, as we learned, was sent to prison for child pornography charges? How did it happen that one of the main figures in their "religious" circle of acquaintances ALSO was engaged in child sexual abuse? It seems like it's almost too much of a coincidence that they would happen to choose to rely on these particular individuals to "assist" them with their situation with Josh. Either that or their whole circle of acquaintances is suspect, which may well be the case too. Because of their religious beliefs, which always seemed strange to me in the first place, they decided to handle the situation "in-house" but in doing so, they perpetuated/enabled the abuse to continue and even now that this is all coming out now and people are being (rightfully) critical of them for how they (and the whole system) handled the situation with Josh, they are continuing to minimize what happened and deflect blame. Even the victims have been brainwashed to believe that nothing serious happened.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
7. You make some very good points
Sun Jun 7, 2015, 09:44 AM
Jun 2015

Here is the timeline I found:

March 2002: The 33-page police report reveals that Jim Bob Duggar tells police his son admits he fondled the breasts and genitals of several victims while they were sleeping in the family's home, and that similar incidents happened four to five times.

May 2002: Jim Bob Duggar loses a primary bid for the Republican Senate seat to Senator Tim Hutchinson in Arkansas. Duggar ran on a platform that "rape and incest represent heinous crimes and as such should be treated as capital crimes."

July 2002: Duggar says his son Josh came to him in July and reported that he touched one of the victims while they were sleeping on the couch. Duggar says his son was punished after the incident, according to the police report.

2003: In March of 2003, nine months after the first incidents, Jim Bob Duggar and his wife Michelle Duggar are made aware of two more incidents, according to the report. In one instance, he allegedly molested a victim while she was sitting in his lap, according to the report. Around the same time, the person (name redacted) put his hand beneath a victim's dress in the family's laundry room, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar tell the police.

Jim Bob Duggar meets with the elders of his church to discuss what action they can take to prevent further abuse, according to the police report. He says the elders agree that Josh needs treatment.

Jim Bob Duggar tells police that Josh Duggar went through a Christian counseling program from March 17 to July 17, where he "did manual labor and had counseling," according to the 2006 police report. It's unclear whether the counseling program was with a certified counselor, and Jim Bob Duggar tells police he cannot recall the name of the facility, according to the report.

Shortly after Josh returns from treatment, Jim Bob Duggar, Josh Duggar and a church elder tell a police official about the incidents, according to the report. Jim Bob Duggar says Josh Duggar admitted the abuse to Joseph Truman Hutchens, a former Arkansas state trooper.

Jim Bob Duggar tells police Hutchens gave Josh a "very stern talk" about what might happen if he "continued such behavior." Jim Bob Duggar tells police that Hutchins said "there was nothing else to do," according to the report.

(The trooper, Hutchens, is currently serving 56 years in Arkansas prison on child pornography charges.)

September 2004: The Duggar family appears on a Discovery Health special called 14 Kids and Pregnant Again.

Dec. 7, 2006: The Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline receives an anonymous tip about sexual abuse occurring in the Duggar household. In the 2006 police report, Springdale Police Department reach out to the family to schedule interviews.

The family is in Chicago for a scheduled interview with Oprah Winfrey and cannot speak to police until they return on Dec. 11, according to the report.

The Oprah Winfrey Show receives an email on Dec. 7, 2006, from an unnamed female that reports abuse. Harpo Studios faxes the letter to the Department of Human Services Hot Line. Oprah cancels the appearance.

Dec. 12, 2006: Police interview Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar at the Springdale Children's Safety Center in Arkansas. Police interview several alleged victims and the person believed to be the perpetrator.

December 20, 2006: Police determine that the time in which they could press charges has expired.

2007: While the mainstream press remains largely unaware of the sexual abuse allegations, online message boards are a flurry with allegations about Josh Duggar, as reported by Gawker.

2008: The first episode of 17 Kids and Counting premieres on TLC. (Over 15 seasons, the family grows to 19 kids.)

May 19, 2015: InTouch publishes an article detailing claims that Josh Duggar sexually abused minors when he was a teenager.

May 21, 2015: InTouch publishes a police report detailing sexual abuse in the Duggar household. The publication obtains the report through a FOIA request. Josh appears to confirm allegations in a Facebook post.

"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends," Josh Duggar, 27, writes in the Facebook statement.

Josh Duggar also resigns from the conservative Family Research Council, where he worked as a lobbyist.

May 22, 2015: Amid the scandal, TLC announces they are pulling reruns of 19 Kids and Counting.

May 22, 2015: Arkansas police destroy the 2006 police report. Springdale Police spokesman Scott Lewis tells the AP that Judge Stacey Zimmerman ordered the 2006 offense report destroyed.

May 26, 2015: Walgreens pulls ads from the Duggar's reality TV show. It's the fourth major retailer to pull advertisements from the show, joining Payless ShoeSource, General Mills and Choice Hotels. More than a dozen other advertisers have pulled ads from the show and the TLC network since news of the sexual abuse allegations surfaced.

May 27, 2015: Hutchens tells InTouch that Jim Bob Duggar hid the extent of Josh Duggar's alleged abuse. He says he would have reported the incident if he had been aware that there was more than one incident of abuse.

May 28, 2015: Hulu appears to pull several episodes of 19 Kids and Counting from its site, though the company has not confirmed whether it will pull the series. When users click on the first 12 episodes of the series, a "404 error page" comes up.

June 3, 2015: Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar appear on television for the first time since news of the sexual abuse scandal broke. The Duggar's acknowledge that four of the victims were their daughters, including younger sisters Jill and Jessa, who also spoke to Fox News reporter, Megyn Kelly.



There are a lot of questions there that need to be answered:

What was the connection between the Duggars and the state trooper? If they did not know him directly, who told the Duggers to talk to him?

Who knew about the abuse and when, and did anyone who knew have the responsibility to report that to the authorities?

Did the abuse happen when the Duggars claim it did or are they changing dates to make it appear that the statute of limitations has run out?

How many victims were there and how many times were they abused and when?

Was there a wide ranging conspiracy to cover up a felony both inside and outside the family?

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,438 posts)
8. So many questions.
Sun Jun 7, 2015, 12:44 PM
Jun 2015

Too few answers. What is astounding is that this is all coming to light close to a decade after the rumours/reports started.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)
10. A tabloid got a hold of the police report from what I have seen
Mon Jun 8, 2015, 01:09 AM
Jun 2015

Now it seems the Duggers might go after them legally.

marshall

(6,665 posts)
11. I thought juvenile records were "sealed"
Mon Jun 8, 2015, 03:49 PM
Jun 2015

But this is Arkansas--those laws may vary from state to state.

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