Josh Duggar, a co-star of TLC's 19
Kids and Counting, has confessed to sexually molesting underage
girls as a teenager.
Duggar reacted on Facebook to a story
first reported by In
Touch Weekly.
“Twelve years ago, as a young
teenager, I acted inexcusably,” he wrote. “I confessed this to
my parents … We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my
wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my
actions to receive counseling.”
According to a police report, Duggar
allegedly sexually molested 5 girls, some of whom are his sisters,
when he was about 14 years old. Jim Bob Duggar, the patriarch of the
family, waited nearly a year before reporting his son's actions to
the authorities, according to reports.
The 27-year-old Duggar cannot be
prosecuted because the statute of limitations has run out.
Duggar has stepped down from his post
as executive director of the Christian conservative Family Research
Council (FRC), a group vocally opposed to LGBT rights.
Last year, Duggar and his mother,
Michelle Duggar, led a successful campaign to defeat an LGBT
protections measure in Fayetteville, Arkansas. During an appearance
on FRC's Washington Watch radio program, Duggar claimed that
such measures jeopardize
the safety of children.
In a statement, Jim Bob and Michelle
said the incident drew the family “closer to God.”