Former reality TV star Josh Duggar released awaiting child porn trial

A judge ordered that Joshua Duggar be released as he awaits trial on charges that he downloaded and possessed child pornography. Photo / AP

Former reality TV star Josh Duggar was released from an Arkansas jail this week as he awaits trial on federal charges that he possessed and downloaded child pornography.

Duggar, 33, did not speak to reporters as he walked out of the Washington County jail in Fayetteville with his attorney Thursday afternoon local time, a day after a federal judge granted Duggar's release while he awaits his July 6 (US) trial. Duggar will be confined to the home of family friends who have agreed to serve as his custodians.

Duggar was indicted on Friday after being arrested by US Marshals. He has pleaded not guilty.

Duggar starred on TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" until it was pulled from the network in 2015 after revelations Duggar had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter. Duggar's parents said he had confessed to the fondling and apologised.

Duggar previously apologised for a pornography addiction and cheating on his wife.

A federal agent testified on Wednesday that multiple pornographic images of children, including toddlers, had been downloaded to a computer at a car dealership that Duggar owned in May 2019.

A monitoring programme that sent reports to Duggar's wife about his activity had been installed, but the images and videos were downloaded after software had been installed that allowed him to download them without being monitored, the agent said.

Under the terms of his release, Duggar can have contact with his children but only with his wife present. He cannot be around any other minors, including other relatives.