Josh Duggar slapped with $50K bill from state as he begins 12-year prison sentence for child pornography charges

The Sun can exclusively reveal the former 19 Kids and Counting star has been slapped with a $50,100 lien for restitution by the state in his child pornography case.

When Josh was sentenced in May, he was ordered to pay a lump sum of $50,100 due "immediately."

According to the judgment, if the payment is not paid immediately, "any unpaid financial penalty shall be paid by the defendant during his term of imprisonment at a rate of up to 50% of the defendant's available funds, in accordance with the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program."

JOSH'S PRE-PRISON CAREER

Jim Bob and Michelle's disgraced son is the father of seven children with his wife, Anna, who has stood by his side. 

Josh owned a used car lot, Wholesale Motorcars, where he downloaded child pornography on his HP computer. 

The lot was shut down after police raided the use car lot in November 2019. 

Josh and Anna, 34, had been living in a small warehouse on the family’s compound with their children. 

ANNA'S PLEA

Anna is a stay-at-home mother and begged Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks to give her husband a lenient sentence, as she feared for her family’s financial future. 

In the letter obtained by The Sun, Anna wrote: "Joshua has worked hard to provide for me and our (now) seven children.

"My children and I rely on Joshua for financial, emotional, and physical support. Many others depend on Joshua, too." 

FINANCIAL CRISIS

The Duggar family pastor's widow Denise Wilson also described Anna's distress in a recent phone call while pleading with the judge for leniency in Josh's case.

Denise told the judge in her own letter that Josh had helped support her and her nine children financially after the death of her husband.

She said that support was cut off following Anna's emotional phone call. 

In the letter to the judge which was filed on Tuesday, Denise wrote: "Recently, Anna called crying saying they're not able to do this now because of their situation, despite how much they wanted to continue to support me.

"Josh told me he and Anna were going to support me and my family monthly to keep up my finances. When he told me how much it would be. I was shocked. It was a gracious amount.

"Josh acted as if it was just a natural thing to do. He told me 'We're just doing what the Bible says... to have pure religion is to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction.'" 

JOSH'S SENTENCING

Josh was sentenced to 151 months in prison on May 25. 

According to The Sun's court reporter, Josh appeared stoic as he received his sentence, which also includes $50,100 in fines.

As he read his decision, the judge called Josh's crimes "the sickest of the sick" to the packed courtroom.

He then said to Josh: "You have done some very bad things. But in your life as a whole, you've done good things... The true test of a man's character is what a man does when no one is watching."

Referring to Josh's insistence that he's innocent, the judge continued: "I find it aggravating about the lack of responsibility."

Judge Brooks recommended Josh participate in the Bureau of Prison's sex offender treatment program.

In the molestation police report, Jim Bob told authorities his son was sent to a Christian counseling program where he did "manual labor and had counseling."

When prosecutors fought for a 20-year sentence on the child pornography charges, they feared Josh would not get the proper counseling and would re-offend again. 

The father of seven filed to appeal the sentence.