Joshley Madison: 2 Sex Scandals and Counting

[Buzzard]

Josh's website - JA20.com - is down

I wonder if they will remove the "good person" test that was there. You know, the one that starts with "have you ever told a lie?"

[nausicaa]

I sort of would like to, but I bet being in that place would be like being in an asylum. Much raging (JB) and wailing (J'chelle). The kids all in hiding upstairs.

I would give anything to have been a fly on the wall in that house yesterday. Trust me, he ain't the golden child anymore.

[RabbitKM]

Well, a statement like that makes future findings less shocking.

I hate that he is blaming it on a pornography addiction- especially when the website in question is not about pornography per se, but actually hook ups. Way different ball game. But that answers the question that yes- there is likely paid memberships to pornography sites as well.

I'm also a little thrown by the 14-15 year old statement. I admit to falling off reading every single thread about the first scandal- but I thought poor Joshie didn't know any better with his siblings because he was so young (in the 12-13 year old range?) Not that it makes it ANY better, but there is a big difference between a 13 year old boy and a 15 year old boy- so either it didn't end when his parents said so, and he had a slip of the tongue- or at the age of 15 he should have been even less protected by his family for it. 15 for Josh puts Joy Anna at 6, not 4- so me thinks this went on a lot longer than we were led to believe (no surprise there).

He is a scumbag. If this falls back on Anna having to forgive him because he confessed- that is so f'd up I can't even think straight. WHAT A DOUCHE!

No, he was never 12-13 when the molestation happened (that the police report can tell us). He was definitely 14-15. And Jim Bob made a big fuss over how hes not a pedofile, because he was only 15, and you have to be 16 to be a pedo.

[SassyPants]

While we can all hope that all these Josh scandals being revealed might make some of the older kids realize the need to escape from this cult, this latest scandal could be blamed on Josh's foray into the "real world" of DC and politics and being away from the family...being around all that sin and all those heathens, of course Josh stumbled! (Not my logic - possibly theirs). It could cause everyone to lock down and dig in to the cult even deeper...

Except they started in 2/13- before he moved to DC.

[gemma]

I have to say I feel a bit sorry for Jill and Jessa (and the other victims): they went out of their way to make excuses for their brother, and put themselves into public controversy by doing that. And now this. I bet they want to strangle him for sure by now.

I just hope that the Duggars finally realize that the stupic Gothard-cult ways won't ensure that your children grow up to be decent human beings, on the contrary.

I realize both were victims but all they did was tow the line to try to save the family's reputation and maybe even the show. I have a problem with that.

[LogansMama]

My husband's response to Josh when I sent him the Duggar's statement:

How about stop hating on gays then, asshole.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Which family or ATI member IG account will support him first? Dillards? Seawalds? Famy? Other?

He will be sent to JOTH one-on-one session with Gothard, not a real rehab place.

He doesn't need a JOTH he needs a JOTD. It's located several inches south of JOTH and involved learning how to keep it behind a zipper.

[JessaJessa]

In a way, my son was right.

Jeeeeezzzzzz what a rat hole this culture is :(

Meh. Every culture from the dawn of time has had whores. He would have sought it out one way or another... Internet porn did not make him do this.

[countressrascal]

Let's all stand up and cheer for JB & DQ for their excellent parenting skills NOT :wtf:

[nokidsmom]

I e-mailed the statement to my dad. He was not impressed that Josh was upset over disgracing Jesus "most of all"--over his wife and children.

That's what always gets me about Josh, much like other fundies, that in confessing wrong, the No. 1 person they admit that they hurt / disappointed hurt was god or Jesus and not the flesh and blood wife and family standing right there.

[Sundaymorning]

I realize both were victims but all they did was tow the line to try to save the family's reputation and maybe even the show. I have a problem with that.

I'm not saying that what they did was ok, but I think they have to feel pretty betrayed. I mean, all this trouble defending Josh for nothing? I can actually see Jessa kick his ass for this. Multiple times.

[GeoBQn]

Am I missing something? How is your dad involved with this?

He's just another person with an opinion who is aware that I follow the Duggars.

[HoneyBunny]

JB is a creeper.

JB is overt about sexuality; flaunts it, and uses it as a tease to his children

JB associated with creepers like Gothard and exposed his kids to creepers during their impressionable years.

JB sold the family to the media as wholesome and above.it.all, for easy cash.

JB isolated, restricted, condemned his kids all while virtually ignoring them in deference to "the next and counting" kid.

Any one surprised at the behaviors of the #1 son?

JB, Michelle, Josh- are now going to reap.

God bless those little M kids and Anna- the Kellers should step in and help them out.

Add to this: JB and Michelle had too damn many kids to be able to adequately parent them. As much as the fundies like to rave about large families and buddy systems and the older kids "helping out" with the younger, growing up in that house was akin to living in an orphanage. Or a zoo. Maybe both. If your child has to schedule small blocks of time with you to be able to have the normal parent-child conversations, you've had way too many. The Bible is wrong, Quiverful is wrong, Lori Alexander is wrong, fundies in general are wrong. You should be counting memorable moments with your kids, NOT the kids themselves.

The shocker will be if there aren't similar issues with some of the other 18 "blessings".

Not to remove the blame from Josh. Just to point out that it was inevitable given that atmosphere of forbidden sex and no parenting.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

I don't agree with this. For several reasons, one in Arkansas there is a precedent for grandparents suing for access to grandchildren and getting it. Secondly, unless there was evidence that Josh had continued to be inappropriate with under age girls, he would likely get shared custody with Anna. There is no real reason to expect otherwise.

Okay, say they sue, all Anna has to do is talk to the courts about the whole Josh molesting his siblings, parents not handling it properly, etc problem. No court is going to award them any kind of custody of their grandchild after that. In all the cases I've ever heard of in regards to grandparents getting rights to the child, it's come when the parents are abusive, addicted to some kind of substance, or otherwise unfit to be parents. I've never heard of grandparents successfully suing for rights to the child when there wasn't a just cause for it.

[gemma]

I wonder if any women will come forward now. There's always someone who wants their 15 minutes of fame and lots of money.

[Firiel]

I'm not saying that what they did was ok, but I think they have to feel pretty betrayed. I mean, all this trouble defending Josh for nothing? I can actually see Jessa kick his ass for this. Multiple times.

Yep. And the thing about the molestation scandal is that they've all had years to come to terms with it-- likely in very unhelpful ways, of course, but everyone knew about and everyone had come up with their own response/justifications long ago.

This is shocking to everyone. I think that puts their reactions to this fiasco in a whole different ballgame (even if the ultimate result is the same).

[Firiel]

Okay, say they sue, all Anna has to do is talk to the courts about the whole Josh molesting his siblings, parents not handling it properly, etc problem. No court is going to award them any kind of custody of their grandchild after that. In all the cases I've ever heard of in regards to grandparents getting rights to the child, it's come when the parents are abusive, addicted to some kind of substance, or otherwise unfit to be parents. I've never heard of grandparents successfully suing for rights to the child when there wasn't a just cause for it.

But would she have the money for a lawyer to fight this?

[formergothardite]

Ok, now I'm in tears and I am praying for them. He is actually doing the right thing by owning up.

See, that is the thing, he really isn't, but is giving the people who spent years adoring his family that he is. He is using a very Gothard like way of admitting a sin in which you deflect to something else(porn in this case) and then giving himself a way out in the future(the way it is written he will still be able to claim that he never cheated with an actual women). This was very carefully crafted and I wouldn't be surprised if they called up Old Bill to help out with it. Just like how last time they turned Josh molesting small children into them being attacked by the liberal media, they are trying to turn this into a thing about the dangers of porn instead of addressing how Josh spent several years being a member of a website that was not porn, but was all about cheating on his wife. They are banking on people not seeing through this. They don't want to deal with what really happened(again, it wasn't about porn, it was about him cheating on his wife), they want to turn the discussion to something else.

[Just_Jane]

That statement was a bit meh to me and I am glad to see I'm not the only one that is less than impressed by it. I guess what bothers me was the spin on it about porn. as if that was the reason he signed up for AM.

They all need secular mental health therapy.

I still haven't read part on of the thread. It seems almost overwhelming to go back and read it now.

[Growelly]

Oh! I know what I was going to say at 8:00 this morning pre-caffeinated brain!

You know what Josh needs, and since this is DC?

Olivia freakin' Pope.

Except, of course, she's a female. And black. And fictional. But mostly that she's female.

I'm not sure this is as witty as I thought it was, but there you go. :lol:

[Cleopatra7]

Now that Josh has confessed, I expect the women to start coming out of the woodwork. There's got to be a Jessica Hahn type character out there, just waiting for her 15 minutes of fame.

I'm actually wondering if Josh does have some kind of problem with sex. It could be anything from a very warped view of sex from ATI teachings or something more serious. I generally roll my eyes when fundies start talking about "sex addiction," but given how there are some people who are addicted to video games (there have even been instances where parents got so into playing online games, that they neglected their children to death), I wouldn't automatically rule it out as a possibility in some cases. The molestation alone is a big red flag that something wasn't right with Josh, and I doubt that Gothard re-education camp was going to do anything but confuse him further.

My mind is kind of boggled that he would spend that much money on AM when he had multiple small children that needed caring for. I suppose he was getting a pretty penny for being on the show and from the FRC, but with 3-4 small children, half in diapers, money goes quite quickly. I hope he wasn't spending needed money on cheating sites and gifts for other women, but I guess we may learn that pretty soon.

[jerkit]

Oh that poor woman.

[treemom]

Okay, say they sue, all Anna has to do is talk to the courts about the whole Josh molesting his siblings, parents not handling it properly, etc problem. No court is going to award them any kind of custody of their grandchild after that. In all the cases I've ever heard of in regards to grandparents getting rights to the child, it's come when the parents are abusive, addicted to some kind of substance, or otherwise unfit to be parents. I've never heard of grandparents successfully suing for rights to the child when there wasn't a just cause for it.

I am not saying they will get custody, but Josh would likely have joint custody, unless there is evidence he molested children after that last publicized incident. And It is likely the Duggars as a whole could get visitation. There are precedents for the visitation being denied to grandparents by parent(s) and then granted by courts in Arkansas.

[SassyPants]

As the headship, Josh needs to man up and walk away from Gothardism. He needs to leave and cleave with his own family, if Anna still wants to continue the marriage. He needs to use BC and take control of his own future. Josh clearly does not buy into the Gothard cult and his parents' BS. As a 27 yo man, he needs to move on-either with Anna and kids (her choice) or on his own.

Stop living the life his parents foisted upon him. Maybe if he could have had some regular choices along the way, in life, he would not have be drawn, like a magnet, to the taboo.

Infidelity is bad, but spewing crap about how everyone else is destroying the sanctity of marriage, while you're being unfaithful, is the worst part about this.

[Sundaymorning]

Okay, say they sue, all Anna has to do is talk to the courts about the whole Josh molesting his siblings, parents not handling it properly, etc problem. No court is going to award them any kind of custody of their grandchild after that. In all the cases I've ever heard of in regards to grandparents getting rights to the child, it's come when the parents are abusive, addicted to some kind of substance, or otherwise unfit to be parents. I've never heard of grandparents successfully suing for rights to the child when there wasn't a just cause for it.

I'm not a lawyer or from AR, but I agree. Anna seems like a capable mother, there is no reason to take the children away from her. And even if there was, after all that went down, I doubt that J'Chelle and Boob would be considered, all Anna had to do was just tell some of the not-so-Christian things that surely went down in Duggarville, and Boob&J'Chelle would probably be investigated by CPS regarding their own underage children.