Just as the hysteria surrounding his highly-publicised molestation scandal began to die down (partly due to the fact that one of his victims, and his sister, resorted to fleeing the country), it has suddenly begun anew after it was revealed that the embattled reality star was reportedly one of the millions of members of the affairs website aimed at cheating husbands, Ashley Madison.
After a series of threats, the anonymous hackers group, Impact Team, made good on their promise to release more than 32 million personal details belonging to users on the extramarital affairs website, Ashley Madison.
As of yesterday, millions of email addresses, credit card details and home addresses of married men using the site to seek out affairs have been released, to calamitous results.
Alongside Josh Duggar, some of the details released have – reportedly – been linked to big names, including Wall Street bankers, United Nations members, Vatican staff and the office of former British PM, Tony Blair.
The details released during the hacking have been traced by journalists to Josh Duggar through two separate accounts he allegedly kept between February of 2013 until May of 2015 – around the time he was issuing his heartfelt apology for molesting his sisters.
The accounts are separately set up, with slightly different details registered on each, but both feature information that links very neatly to Duggar.
The first account, which was registered in February of 2013, supplies credit card information which cites Duggar’s name, ‘Josh J Duggar’, as well as listing his grandmother’s house in Fayetteville, Arkansas as his billing residence – a house that was frequently featured in his now-cancelled show, 19 Kids and Counting and a house within which his wife, Anna Duggar, gave birth to his first child.
His birthday on this account is listed as being February 3, 1988 – a month earlier than his actual birthdate, March 3, 1988.
His profile (“Josh_the_man”), which does not feature a photo, reads: “Looking for you! I’m really open! You let me know what your fantasy is and we’ll do it together!”
The profile continues on to list his “preferences” for his mistress, which includes:
“Conventional Sex”, “Experimenting with Sex Toys”, “One-Night Stands”, “Open to Experimentation”, “Gentleness”, “Good With Your Hands”, Sensual Massage”, “Extended Foreplay/Teasing”, “Bubble Bath for 2”, “Likes to Give Oral Sex”, “Likes to Receive Oral Sex”, “Someone I Can Teach”, “Someone Who Can Teach Me”, “Kissing”, “Cuddling & Hugging”, “Sharing Fantasies” and “Sex Talk”.
Following his sexual preferences, Duggar listed his requirements for any compatible women:
“A Professional/Well Groomed”, “Stylish/Classy”, “Casual Jeans/T-shirt Type”, “Muscular/Fit Body”, ”Petite Figure”, “Tall Height”, “Short Height”, “Long Hair”, ”Short Hair”, “Girl Next Door”, “Naughty Girl”, “Sense of Humor”, “Imagination”, “Creative and Adventurous”, “Relaxed and Easy Going”, “Aggressive/Take Charge Nature”, “Confidence”, “Discretion/Secrecy”, “A Good Listener”, “Good Personal Hygiene”, “Average Sex Drive”, “High Sex Drive”, “Dislikes Routine”, “Has a Secret Love Nest”, “Disease Free”, “Drug Free”, and “Natural Breasts”.
After more than a year, Josh seemed to have opened up a second account linked to his home in Maryland, where he was living whilst campaigning against same-sex marriage and promoting “traditional family values”.
The second account (“ready4thisdc”), lists his birthday as “March 2, 1988”, one day off his real birthday and reads: “Do you have a spark? Let’s just see where this goes! I’m looking to have a steamy affair. I want to have a good time with someone who is passionate… and see where it leads!”
During the sign up for his second account, the 27-year-old also allegedly purchased what Ashley Madison refers to as “Affair Guarantee”, which costs $250 and ensures you secure an affair “within three months”, or you get your money back.
For both accounts, Duggar allegedly paid around $986.76USD to fuel his search for an affair.
Josh married his wife, Anna, in 2008 and together they have four children, Michael, Mackynzie, Marcus and Meredith.
Josh with wife, Anna.
Reports circulating in May revealed Josh Duggar, the eldest child of family the Duggars, had been investigated for the molestation of five underage girls, between 2002 and 2006, four of which were his younger sisters.
Following this news, various supporters, advertisers and backers have slowly removed their advertising and support from both the TLC show and the family itself, prompting the show to be cancelled in July.
The show, which has been running since 2008 (under names 17 Kids and Counting and 18 Kids and Counting), was cancelled from all networks.
Josh, who is now a 27-year-old father of four, issued a public apology following the claims.
“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” read his statement, “I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counselling.”
However, the ‘counselling’ and ‘steps’ referred to in his statement were revealed to be a 3-month “Christian Treatment Program”, and a “stern talk” from a former Arkansas state trooper, Joseph Hutchens, who has since been charged with child pornography and is currently serving 56 years in prison.
Since the release of this statement, however, Hutchens has made claims that he only counselled Duggar ‘based on lies’, explaining that, at the time, Josh’s father, Jim Bob, had told him it was only ‘one girl’.
“Jim Bob explained to me that Josh inappropriately touched [a victim] while she was asleep,” Hutchens alleged in an interview to InTouch Magazine, “He said it only happened one time.”
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar.
But Josh Duggar was not the only one to release a statement. His parents, Jim Bob and Michelle also released their own, stating that Josh’s actions were ‘in the past’ and that they would stand by him and continue to support him.
“Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives. When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked,” read the statement, “We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.”
Deciding not to pursue legal action over Josh’s crimes, it is understood Jim Bob and Michelle claimed that they ‘prayed for him’ instead.
However, this lenient stand on his actions does not appear to be in line with Jim Bob’s previous position on this topic.
During his unsuccessful run in the Arkansas Senate race in 2002, Jim Bob revealed that he was in favour of the death penalty for incest.
“If a woman is raped, the rapist should be executed instead of the innocent unborn baby,” said Duggar during Q&A session, “Rape and incest represent heinous crimes and as such should be treated as capital crimes.”
