Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar ‘forget’ daughter Jessa’s 29th birthday as son Josh prepares for child pornography trial
JIM Bob and Michelle Duggar "forgot" their daughter Jessa's birthday in the midst of their oldest son Josh's pornography case.
Josh's trial is scheduled for November 30th, following his April 2021 arrest for receiving and possessing child pornography.
With the court date approaching, Jim Bob and Michelle failed to acknowledge another important day: their daughter's 29th birthday.
While Jessa kept quiet on social media during her special day on November 4th, her younger sister Jinger made a point to send her well wishes.
"Happiest birthday to my bestie since day one. Love you so much @jessaseawald," Jinger, 27, wrote on her Instagram Stories along with a photo of the pair with their father.
The young dad craddled a baby Jinger in his arm while holding her then-toddler older sister in the other, as he smiled at the camera.
Fans took notice at the snub with one commenting on : "I just realized it was Jessa’s birthday yesterday. Saw a post from Jinger, but that’s it. Really surprised there wasn’t a token shoutout (written by Jana of course) from Duggar Family or Ben."
A second user felt remorse for the star writing: "She already had a depressing life. That honestly makes me feel bad."
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Another echoed the sentiment replying: "Oh that’s sad, really sad. Having your birthday forgotten by your family is incredibly demoralising, and Jessa always seems depressed already."
The parents-of-19 also remained hush for their daughter Joy-Anna's birthday, which she celebrated last week.
The 24-year-old shared some photos from her special day on Instagram where she enjoyed a quiet day at home with her husband and kids.
The devoted mother captured a sweet pic with her daughter, Evelyn, one, while detailing her plans for her birthday.
She captioned the post: "Happy Birthday to meee!
"My kiddos got the stomach bug so we're just spending the day at home, organizing, drinking coffee, & watching hallmarks."
The mother-daughter duo cuddled close for the snap as they smiled at the camera.
MOLESTATION SCANDAL
Meanwhile, the family's oldest sibling, Josh, 33, continues to make headlines for his child pornography charges.
The Sun exclusively revealed from court papers that the state plans to use his past molestation scandal, which he was never charged for, at the trial and is asking the court for permission.
In 2015, a police report was published that revealed his dad Jim Bob confessed to local authorities that Josh fondled the breasts and genitals of five young girls while they were asleep in the family home back in 2006.
The state plans to use the police report at trial, as it shows his alleged “sexual interest in young girls.”
Court papers obtained by The Sun claim: “The government now provides the defendant with notice that it may seek to introduce evidence at trial that the defendant committed other acts of child molestation.
"Specifically, the government notices its intent to introduce evidence that in approximately 2002 and 2003… the defendant attempted to and did commit a crime as defined by Arkansas state law involving contact between any part of the defendant’s body and a child’s genitals or anus—namely, sexual assault in the second degree.”
If introduced at trial, the evidence will include “testimony that the defendant was investigated for, admitted to, and received counseling for touching and sexually molesting multiple minor females, including at least one instance involving the digital penetration of a prepubescent minor.”
The court papers filed on November 3 continue to explain that the evidence can establish Josh’s “propensity to commit the charged child sex offense.”
The documents claimed: “Evidence of the defendant’s molestation of and sexual interest in minor girls—including, in this case, girls in the approximate age range of the victims depicted in the child sexual abuse material the defendant downloaded or attempted to download from the internet—is highly probative of the defendant’s knowing receipt and possession of child pornography on his computer.
"Evidence of the defendant’s sexual interest in minor girls, as shown through his prior molestation conduct, is especially probative in that it strongly demonstrates that it was the defendant who sought out and possessed the child pornography material at issue in this case and that he did so intentionally.”
The state is requesting the court allow the molestation report to be used at trial.
JOSH'S REBUTTAL
Josh fought back, as he demanded the judge not allow the government and witnesses from discussing the molestation that took place when he was a minor.
He claimed in his court filing that the only reason the government has possession of the police report is because it was “unlawfully leaked.”
The filing read: “There is no question the allegations at issue arise at a time when Duggar was a minor and the allegations at issue in this case arise at a time when Duggar was in his 30’s.
“Furthermore, there is no question Duggar was never charged with a crime related to those allegations.”
The documents continue that Josh was a minor at the time of the molestation and that it has “nothing to do with computer-based conduct.”
The filing claims the conduct “sheds no light on whether Duggar knowingly received or possessed alleged child pornography on three days in 2019 as the indictment alleges.”
Using the report at trial would be “extremely and unfairly prejudicial.”
The court documents continued: “If the jury were to hear about the allegations lodged against Duggar when he was a minor, an unacceptable risk exists that the jury would convict him in this case, not because the Government has proven him guilty of the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt, but because the jury would improperly conclude that the prior allegations against Duggar somehow make it more likely that he committed the charged offenses in this case.”
An Arkansas judge has not ruled on the requests.
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