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Josh & Anna Smuggar: A Series of Unfortunate Events

maraleia

By maraleia
in Counting On

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hoosier80
hoosier80

New show title: 10 to 20 Years and Counting 

MargeGunderson
MargeGunderson

Someone on Reddit just described Josh’s face as a glistening glazed ham. I am considering divorcing my husband and marrying that poster. 

doodlebug
doodlebug

Well, for many of us, it's the difference between 'imperfect' and 'non-PC' and being a criminal.  Josh is a child molester and his parents actively intervened in his situation to avoid him being punis

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JoanArc

JoanArc

(edited)

I never thought it was just one time. Someone who does that rarely does it once. I wonder what poor Anna must be thinking now. Because, she was probably not told the whole truth either.

What gets me about Anna, is that even if she knew all Josh had done before the marriage, she was still naive. I mean, it's not like she'd have been allowed to Google child molestation stats, outcomes, etc. She could never watch a documentary about abusers or their victims. She wouldn't have been able to have premarriage counseling from anyone legitimate. She probably couldn't *really* discuss it with anyone. I mean all she had to go on was that Josh was forgiven and under control, with a chorus of people who'd be implying that molesting your 5 year old sister is just something boys do, not that big a deal.

 

I honestly hope she does something, like an interview, and makes HER OWN money. Enough to support herself and the kids for a few years, and enough for her to at least consider getting out of dodge.

Edited by JoanArc
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Churchhoney

Churchhoney

Yeah, I've doubted it was just one time for each victim. I'm sure they were coached to downplay it all to the police. Even back then, there was a script. We'll never know what was really true. Nor do I really want too. Jim Bob and Michelle knew they had a monster, and did nothing.

Very, very sad.

 

And they knew that they had a clearly troubled monster, who was only a young teenager. And not only did they do nothing to help the girls, they did nothing to figure out how best to address the problems of their favored and best beloved son, either.

 

Instead, in the face of clear evidence that they were missing a lot of things in their very overcrowded house -- even after being warned about them -- they had more kids and decided to set themselves up as America's model family.

 

Mindboggling.

  • Love 10
GEML

GEML

I doubt that the police reports are the whole story. I've said that all along. Still, it's really irresponsible to say someone repeatedly molested a five year old when there is no evidence of that. That IS the kind of "reporting" that allows the Duggars and the supports to cry "persecution" when the actual police reports are horrific enough all on their own.

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TaxNerd

TaxNerd

http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/josh-duggar-chilling-molestation-confession-in-new-police-report-59752

Unfortunately In Touch is claiming it, with a police report backup. They also claim if the statute had not expired, Jim Bob and Michelle could have gone to prision for up to six years for not reporting immediately.

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JoanArc

JoanArc

http://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/josh-duggar-chilling-molestation-confession-in-new-police-report-59752

Unfortunately In Touch is claiming it, with a police report backup. They also claim if the statute had not expired, Jim Bob and Michelle could have gone to prision for up to six years for not reporting immediately.

Orange Countenances are the New Black.

 

I joke because I'd love to see Jim Bob and Michelle pay some kind of price for what they did. Losing some revenue aint gonna cut it.

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TaxNerd

TaxNerd

Orange Countenances are the New Black.

I joke because I'd love to see Jim Bob and Michelle pay some kind of price for what they did. Losing some revenue aint gonna cut it.

As a minor, what would Josh's punishment have been? Just moving out? I find it surprising that JB and Michelle could have gotten 6 years when they were not mandated reporters.

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JoanArc

JoanArc

As a minor, what would Josh's punishment have been? Just moving out? I find it surprising that JB and Michelle could have gotten 6 years when they were not mandated reporters.

I have no idea about Josh. Completing a legit treatment program and living elsewhere, with supervised visitation of siblings would be a good start. Hell, what about a youth ranch? Not the most pleasant place, but it might have been good for young Josh.

 

I think Jim Bob and Michelle would be guilty of some form of child endangerment rather than failure to report. Not a lawyer here.

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GEML

GEML

Unless InTouch has a third police report, I'm not seeing that Josh "repeated molested a five year old sister" and I really don't think many localities are interested in throwing parents in jail for not turning children over to authorities. That's only going to make it less likely to for parents to come forward, because if it comes out that you knew something previously and didn't act immediately (perhaps you weren't sure) you risk being put in prison and your children put into foster care. Yeah, that's going to help stop the abuse.

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truthtalk2014

truthtalk2014

(edited)

can you imagine Anna trying to talk about this with Pris? Pris's head would explode trying to comprehend it.

My head would explode while watching it.

 

ETA:  You know they always have to film those heart to heart conversations for the adoring public to see!  YUCK!

Edited by truthtalk2014
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farmgal4

farmgal4

can you imagine Anna trying to talk about this with Pris? Pris's head would explode trying to comprehend it.

Poor Priscilla. I feel so sorry for her every time I see her on YouTube trying to form a halfway intelligent thought into a sentence. She's pitiful really. Her IQ has got to be waaay down there, bless her heart.

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GEML

GEML

I guess I'm not sure why people don't think Anna could talk about this with anyone. I think she and Priscilla could talk about it. I think they HAVE talked about it. I think she's very close with her sisters. That could be because I also have sisters and I'm responding mostly to body language which seems to me very warm.

Readalot

Readalot

I guess I'm not sure why people don't think Anna could talk about this with anyone. I think she and Priscilla could talk about it. I think they HAVE talked about it. I think she's very close with her sisters. That could be because I also have sisters and I'm responding mostly to body language which seems to me very warm.

I agree, I think they are close and I hope I'm right. However, Pris seems to me to be very sheltered so I feel like this situation would be hard to be explained. And maybe Anna would want to protect her too.
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TaxNerd

TaxNerd

I agree, I think they are close and I hope I'm right. However, Pris seems to me to be very sheltered so I feel like this situation would be hard to be explained. And maybe Anna would want to protect her too.

Don't forget they also spent a good part of their formative years providing prision ministry. I don't think they are that naive.

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MichaelaRae

MichaelaRae

(edited)
Unless InTouch has a third police report, I'm not seeing that Josh "repeated molested a five year old sister" and I really don't think many localities are interested in throwing parents in jail for not turning children over to authorities.

 

The article doesn't say he repeatedly molested a 5-year-old as far as I can tell from what I read. It says he committed multiple acts of molestation (paragraph 1) and that one of the victims was 5 years old and he 15 (paragraph 2). It also says he committed 7 acts of molestation at the age of 15 (paragraph 2). However that last line of the paragraph is poorly written, as the second part could theoretically be interpreted to mean he committed those 7 acts against the 5 year old. But that's not how I read it. To me, those were two separate parts of the sentence. (But slightly slippery writing is also nothing less than I'd expect from a tabloid, even when they have actual facts at their disposal. ;-) )

Edited by MichaelaRae
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Vaysh

Vaysh

(edited)

 

I don't know that it would need to be more than to listen. Sometimes you don't need a counselor. You need a sister. I don't see any reason why the Keller sisters wouldn't be that for each other.

 

I guess that would depend on whether your sister actually listens, understands and supports you no matter what, or if her idea of love and comfort is spouting clichés and platitudes about being a good helpmeet and supporting your husband no matter what and wow, be really grateful when he points out all those mistakes you make every day but is so kind to forgive.

 

I want Priscilla to be someone Anna can lean on, but judging from her youtube vids I'm not too hopeful tbh.

Edited by Vaysh
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What In The

What In The

Anna is in the butt ugliest of butt ugliest of situations IMO. Number one, her entire life has prepared her for marriage and babies but not this. Two, the man she thought was prince charming is a child predator. Three, courtship was supposed to protect her hear from pain but it didn't. Four, she's preggo with an unemployed husband. And lastly, her semingly perfect life has just turned into a nightmare.

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Spencer Hastings

Spencer Hastings

(edited)

With the way the Duggars acted tonight, I wholeheartedly believe that Anna either had no clue about this or it was grossly underplayed (just as it was tonight) when she was told about it. If the parents of the victims brush it off this much to the world in order to save their show, there's no way you can convince me that they told a potential spouse the true nature of the situation.

1. Any parents in their right mind would try to protect their daughter from marrying into that. Are the Kellers in their right mind? Probably not. We pick at a lot of their choices but I can't see them being okay with molestation. These people ran a prison ministry for years. This is the kind of guy they ministered to and probably warned their children about. The story about them knowing the whole truth doesn't fly with me.

2. Let's just say they tell Anna the truth. The entire disgusting truth. She decides it's too much and she heads for the hills. Who's to say that she won't tell anyone? Maybe Anna's in too deep at this point but maybe not. Too risky. I can't see Jim Bob and Michelle being that open with an outsider with a brand new TLC career at stake.

Here's how I think it went down: Josh admits that he got into some trouble as a young teen. He admits to being counseled by this guy for impure thoughts or behaviors. He doesn't tell her that he touched all but one his sisters inappropriately. He probably doesn't even mention the 5th girl but I won't even speculate about that part. She's given the bare minimum of the story, it's chalked up to teenage curiosity and mistakes, boom. He shared his heart with her and they've shared this precious moment with each other. The way that they downplayed this tonight? There's no way they were completely genuine with Anna and her family. They wouldn't even know how to be honest.

Edited by Spencer Hastings
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NextIteration

NextIteration

Gather up those babies and RUN Anna, RUN!

 

I worry for her, her pregnancy and her little girl.

 

This is beyond ugly, it was ugly before but this interview has shown it's uglier than I imagined.  These people have no fucks to give about who they harm whilst they try to save the money train.  Throwing the survivors of Josh's molestation under the bus is disgusting.  There was simply no balance in that interview.

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KittyS

KittyS

I think Anna is 100% Team Josh. She probably doesn't think he is a risk to her children. (I'm sorta inclined to agree with that, given the statistics, but knowing he didn't receive real counseling does leave room for doubt.) Anna probably blames the "persecutors" for the current mess. I don't think it would ever occur to her to leave Josh, especially considering she was okay with his "mistakes" when she married him (inasmuch as she knew the true nature of those mistakes and wasn't steamrolled by the patriarchy). I do feel sorry for Anna having to go through all of this - unemployment, a cross country move, loss of privacy - with a baby on the way. In that respect, she is the sixth victim.

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Sunnybobs

Sunnybobs

I don't know that the Kellers knew obviously but depending on their type of prison ministry surely they would be more likely to belive in the power of redemption through Jesus etc. Josh as a younger man confessing to young Anna and sharing his story of being saved and his redemption might easily have been a powerful sway to Anna. Also having heard how JB & Michelle are minimising the abuse in their interview it's probably pretty safe to think that they minimised it similarly to Anna in the hope of enabling the marriage quickly.

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Bean421

Bean421

I'm going to say since they're still referring to his stint in construction as therapy that he probably waived a salary.

 

This infuriates me! I personally know some youthful sex offenders and those treatment programs are no joke. They take, at a minimum, 18 months to complete. They require polygraph tests and hours of individual, group, and family therapy.  No way Josh was able to pay for anything resembling that with pocket money.  Josh (and the victims) needed real help.  I've seen good parents who's kids have done terrible things, put aside their pride and get their families help even though it was incredibly painful. It's a shame that didn't happen in this situation.

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Albanyguy

Albanyguy

can you imagine Anna trying to talk about this with Pris? Pris's head would explode trying to comprehend it.

They surely picked a pair of husbands -- to the extent they did any picking themselves.

 

 

And let's not underestimate the level of control exerted over these women by the men who have "authority" over them. I wouldn't put it past Josh and David Waller to decide that it was in their best interests not to allow Anna and Priscilla to be alone together to discuss the current situation.

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Wellfleet

Wellfleet

I think Anna is 100% Team Josh. She probably doesn't think he is a risk to her children. (I'm sorta inclined to agree with that, given the statistics, but knowing he didn't receive real counseling does leave room for doubt.) Anna probably blames the "persecutors" for the current mess. I don't think it would ever occur to her to leave Josh, especially considering she was okay with his "mistakes" when she married him (inasmuch as she knew the true nature of those mistakes and wasn't steamrolled by the patriarchy). I do feel sorry for Anna having to go through all of this - unemployment, a cross country move, loss of privacy - with a baby on the way. In that respect, she is the sixth victim.

 

Yes, I don't think it ever crossed Anna's mind to leave Josh. Even if she did, I don't think there would be a divorce. I wish I could give her a little more credit, but I really don't believe she's imagined the possibility of danger to her own kids either. I think she's basically been hoodwinked all the way through this saga. Before the courting started she was given a very sanitized version of the story and being the trusting, obedient and indoctrinated soul she is, she believes it all to this day.

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GEML

GEML

Or, if he's not a repeat offender and he is a great father, leaving him and being an outcast within the only community you know and love does exactly what for her? We talk about her as if she either knows nothing then or is too stupid now when it's possible that they genuinely have reached a place where despite this, they are committed to each other. They got arrogant and complacent, but people do that in their 20's. (Especially DC people.). But that doesn't mean either of them are stupid.

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