A Former Friend Of Josh Duggar's Was Shocked To Be Called As A Witness (But Proved Josh's Story Didn't Add Up)

Summary

• Josh Duggar was arrested for child pornography, but he denied that the material found on his computer belonged to him.
• Testimony during the trial revealed that Josh Duggar had a separate operating system on his computer that allowed him to bypass conservative software.
• A former friend of Josh Duggar testified that Josh had advanced computer knowledge and discussed using Linux to get around content filters.

When the news of Josh Duggar's arrest first broke, fans of the Duggar family weren't sure what to think. Initially, there was plenty of support for the family and Josh himself. After all, Josh's wife and all his siblings had stood by him after it came out that he had assaulted his younger siblings as a teenager.

While many onlookers may have felt as though Jim Bob and Michelle downplayed Josh's misdeeds — even Josh's sisters gave interviews minimizing his status as a predator — things would get much worse. Ultimately, Josh Duggar was sentenced to over a decade in prison, and it turns out that a former friend may have played a part in establishing Josh's character.

Josh Duggar Was Arrested When Inappropriate Material Was Found On His Computer

Criminal material was found on a computer of Duggar's, but he denied the material was his

In 2019, Josh Duggar had a run-in with federal investigators as they confiscated his work computer at the car lot he worked at. Josh's charges included "knowing receipt and possession of child pornography."

However, Josh's defense team denied in court that the files belonged to Josh, or that he used the computer for any nefarious purpose. The fact that the machine was used by Josh in his day-to-day work seemed to be of most interest to prosecutors, and the government's investigative unit.

During the trial, federal investigators provided testimony detailing what was on Josh Duggar's computer, though it was noted that no inappropriate material was ever found on his personal MacBook or iPhone.

As the experts explained in court, Josh Duggar's computer was an HP desktop running Covenant Eyes, a program that has been referenced by the Duggars' religious group. Viewers who watched the Duggars' 19 Kids and Counting may also recall the family talking about keeping the computers safe for their kids.

Yet the HP machine also had a "separate computer on a computer," according to the technology experts in court. A separate operating system was installed, and it was that operating system that skirted the conservative software.

Josh's defense team theorized that someone else was using Josh's computer, whether by hacking directly or remotely accessing it, but that theory lost credence with the help of other testimony.

A Former Associate Of Josh Duggar's Spilled Details About His Computer Knowledge

A self-proclaimed former associate of Josh says he knew more about computers than he let on

Anyone familiar with the Duggar family and their limited use of technology might agree that it's unlikely Josh Duggar knew his way around Windows without any filters, let alone knew enough to create a secret secondary hard drive.

But apart from the fact that Josh Duggar admitted to subscribing to the adultery site Ashley Madison, it seems that he also knew more about computers than anyone would have expected.

A witness from Josh Duggar's trial spilled details on Reddit and told one specific story that may have helped the prosecution convince the jury of Josh's guilt. The witness, who was shocked to be called in to testify, said that he had known Josh for 20 years and they ran in the same circles.

Later labeling himself a "close acquaintance," the Redditor known as Clint explained that he had a noteworthy conversation with Josh sometime around 2010, and that casual chat turned out to be fodder for the prosecution over a decade later.

Clint explained that he and some friends, including Josh, were chatting about technology. His family had stopped using Covenant Eyes, and the group discussed the issues with it and the specific fact that another operating system could bypass it.

During that conversation, Clint explained that they specifically discussed Linux as an alternative to getting around Covenant Eyes on a Windows machine.

Despite Josh seeming "disinterested" at that time, the pieces fell together when, in court, investigators explained that Josh's PC was running Windows — and its hidden system was Linux.

What's more, Clint explained that Josh had decent technological abilities, to the point where it made sense that he could build a PC or install a secondary operating system with ease.

Josh Duggar's Former Friend Seems To Believe Josh Is Guilty

Despite confirming that "justice was served," Josh's former friend says he still loves the Duggars

After the trial wrapped and Josh's former acquaintance was able to speak about the case, he posted on social media to discuss his experiences. In his Reddit post, Clint quoted his Instagram, noting, "My heart goes out to his past victims and to his family who have to adjust to life now."

Clint also wrote, "Justice was served yesterday, but I am not elated. This should have never progressed this far his parents failed him as a young teenager, and now so many people have suffered because of it.

Despite all that I still love them. I still love him. It's hard to see people as monsters even when you know they are."

Clint also revealed other details from the trial, such as the fact that the Duggar siblings that Josh admitted to molesting didn't know the details of the assaults until they went to court. Ultimately, Clint wrote that the trial "rocked my world," even though he and Josh were "never very close." Now, he is likely relieved that there was always some distance.