Inside the 'Treatment' Josh Duggar Received After Reported Child Molestation 
 
 Josh Duggar Speaks Out About Molestation Reports 
 
 When Jim Bob Duggar became aware that his eldest son was allegedly molesting underage girls , the family decided to handle the incident privately instead of immediately reporting the accusations to police.Sixteen months elapsed between the time Jim Bob learned of his son's self-admitted "wrongdoing" and Josh Duggar 's official admission to Arkansas state trooper Cpl. Hutchins – who gave him a "very stern talk" but did not press charges, according to police reports obtained by InTouch but which have now been expunged.Sometime between Josh's confession to his father and his formal confession to police, Josh spent time at a facility called the Institute in Basic Life Principles Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, PEOPLE has confirmed.The center claims to "strengthen individuals and families through sound Biblical teachings and character development opportunities and to demonstrate Christ's love through serving," as posted on their official website. Jim Bob would later tell police Josh was in the program from March 17, 2003 to July 17, 2003.The methods employed by the institute have received numerous criticisms from alumni and online forums. John Krull, Executive Director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union has called the center "appalling" and a "shadow world, where these kids almost disappear." The Institute in Basic Life Principles Training Center has been the subject of a local Child Protective Services investigation, and its principal, Rodger Gergeni, has denied allegations of maltreatment.Last year, at 79-years-old, founder Bill Gothard was accused of sexually harassing or assaulting 34 women, and resigned his position at the institute.The Duggar's decision to send Josh to the program in lieu of contacting authorities could be explained by the family's deep rooted connections to Gothard and his teachings.Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have long been proponents of the Advanced Training Institute, a homeschooling program based on Bible teachings, which was at one point run by Gothard.ATI offers many Christian based lessons and outlines for homeschooling programs, in addition to detailed courses on how to handle sexual indiscretions between family members.In one chapter, titled "Lessons From Moral Failures in a Family," the program offers guidelines on how to react if "an older brother was guilty of sexually abusing younger ones in his family," according to documents obtained by Gawker . In the alleged ATI teachings, after a period of repentance, the older brother is asked questions such as "What teaching could have been given to each child to resist evil?" and "What factors in the home contributed to immodesty and temptation?"The passage goes on to warn of the potential consequences of such a scandal: "The damage to the younger children, the ridicule to the cause of Christ, the shame of detailed publicity, and the scars to the life and reputation of the boy were indescribably painful to the family and their friends."While there is no evidence the Duggars followed these teachings, their long association with the institute is well documented. As Gawker notes , Jim Bob Duggar and Gothard have appeared in photographs together, and "Jim Bob and Michelle were listed as speakers at last month's ATI Family Conference in Big Sandy, Texas.In a statement to PEOPLE, Josh Duggar said, "I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions," says Josh. "I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God's grace, mercy and redemption." ||||| In 2006, Oprah Winfrey canceled an appearance on her show by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, the parents whose 15 children had made them famous not just to fellow evangelical Christians but to the secular world as well. 
 
 The loss of the Oprah special was no obstacle to the Duggars, who continued to star in specials for Discovery Health, and who within two years had their own TLC show, 19 Kids and Counting. But Winfrey’s about-face was a hot topic of rumor among the obsessive communities of Duggar watchers online, where it was whispered that Winfrey and her producers had canceled the show after discovering some kind of impropriety—at best, deeply retrograde beliefs about gender roles; at worst, the possibility that eldest son Josh Duggar had molested one or more of his younger sisters. 
 
 We now know, thanks to a FOIA request filed by InTouch, that the worst of the rumors were true. In a statement to People last night, 27-year-old Josh Duggar admitted that when he was a teenager, he molested several underage girls—including some of his sisters. “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,” he said. 
 
 His parents released a statement as well: “When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.” 
 
 Reading a Springdale police report filed in 2006 and released by InTouch yesterday, it seems clear Jim Bob and Michelle knew about Josh’s misconduct from the beginning—and helped him avoid prosecution. 
 
 But they weren’t the only ones who knew of Josh’s predation. So did Oprah Winfrey, her producers, the Springdale Police Department—and, apparently, a huge community of message board posters online. 
 
 All of which raises the question: When did Discovery Communications—the corporate parent of Discovery Health and TLC, which has profited off of every Duggar birth, courtship, and marriage announcement—find out? 
 
 The Duggars began starring in specials for Discovery Health, a sister network of TLC, in 2005—just two years after Josh admitted to molesting his underage sisters. As the family rose to fame, rumors about Josh’s abuse popped up on message boards and blogs, but they were never addressed by the Duggars or the networks. 
 
 We’ve reached out to TLC for comment. If you know anything regarding Josh’s misconduct and TLC’s awareness of it, email me at allie@gawker.com . In the meantime, here is a timeline of events leading up to Josh’s admission yesterday. 
 
 2002-2003: Josh molests his sisters and is quietly shipped off to a “Christian” program 
 
 According to the police report released by InTouch, Josh’s father Jim Bob (referred to in the report as “James”) first learned of Josh’s behavior in March 2002, when one victim approached Jim Bob and said that Josh touched her breasts and genitals while she slept. 
 
 Jim Bob appears not to have acted on the accusation. In July 2002, Josh, then 14 years old, admitted to the behavior to his father, prompting Jim Bob to “discipline” Josh but not report the incident to the authorities. 
 
 In March 2003, according to the report, Josh fondled a victim while he read a book to her. Jim Bob was made aware of this and several more accusations—victims accused Josh of touching their breasts and genitals while they slept, and sometimes while they were awake. 
 
 The police report suggests that four of Josh’s sisters were victims. In 2002, there were five sisters living in the Duggar house: Jana, then 12; Jill, 11; Jessa, 10; Jinger, 9; and Joy-Anna, 5. 
 
 In March 2003, Jim Bob met with “church elders” to discuss Josh’s behavior, and they decided Josh needed to enter a treatment program. He was sent to a “Christian” program consisting of “hard physical work and counseling” from March 2003 to July 2003. Josh’s mother Michelle later admitted to police that Josh did not see a counselor, and was instead sent “to a family friend who was in the home remodeling business” in Little Rock, Arkansas. 
 
 When Josh returned home in July 2003, his father and church elders took him to a state trooper to confess what he’d done. The trooper, Cpl. Hutchins, gave Josh a “very stern talk” but did not charge him with any crimes. 
 
 InTouch reports that Hutchins was later arrested on child pornography charges and is currently serving 56 years in prison. 
 
 2005: First Duggar special airs on Discovery Health 
 
 Most of the rest of the world was first introduced to the Duggar family on September 6, 2005 with the one-hour Discovery Health special, 14 Children and Pregnant Again! The show followed the family as they prepared for their 15th child, Jackson, and paved the way for many similar specials, and, ultimately, 19 Kids and Counting on TLC. 
 
 2006: Oprah learns of accusations against Josh 
 
 According to the police report and InTouch, a Duggar family appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006 was canceled after a “61-year-old woman” emailed Harpo Studios to warn producers about Josh’s sexual misconduct. Harpo Studios forwarded the information to the Department of Human Services hotline, which trigged an investigation by the Springdale Police Department. 
 
 It’s not clear who tipped Oprah off and how she knew about Josh’s misconduct, but Jim Bob and Michelle told police that when Josh was accused of molesting his sisters, a family friend wrote down the accusations in a letter that was then placed in a book in the Duggars’ home. Sometime during 2006, the Duggars loaned the book to another person and the letter was discovered. 
 
 Throughout the Springdale Police Department’s investigation, three more Duggar specials aired on Discovery Health in 2006: Raising 16 Children on March 13, 16 Children and Moving In on March 15, and On the Road with 16 Children on June 11. 
 
 In December 2006, Springdale police interviewed the Duggars about Josh’s behavior. Jim Bob would not produce Josh for questioning—per InTouch, “when police asked Jim Bob to bring Josh in for an interview in 2006, he attempted to hire a lawyer and refused to produce his son for questioning. At least two lawyers refused to take his case.” 
 
 
 
 Police ultimately did not file charges against Josh because the three-year statute of limitations had run out. 
 
 2007: Duggar message boards reveal Josh’s sexual abuse 
 
 Though Jim Bob and Michelle decidedly hid Josh’s misconduct from the press and protected him from arrest, the secret had gotten out. They told police in 2006 that “several members of their church were aware of the situation and had been supportive of the family.” 
 
 In May 2007, the allegations surfaced online in a comment on a blog about the Duggars. Commenter “Alice”—who has since been referred to on various Duggar message boards as the originator of the rumor—wrote (emphasis added): 
 
 Let me tell you something about the precious Duggars that you don’t know. ... In January, the whole family went to Chicago and taped Oprah Winfrey show. Oprah wined and dined them for one week. You know that had to cost some pretty pennies. As you may have noticed, that show never aired and it never will. Oprah was informed that Josh, the oldest son, had been molesting his sisters. Yes, this is the truth. Oprah turned them over to the Arkansas State Police Child Protection Agency and the Washington County Child Protection Agency. They have been investigated to some length. Jim Bob Duggar told the producers of the show that he built a small church out back for his followers. HIS FOLLOWERS. GET REAL. THE MAN IS A FRAUD. In April, they were in court with their story. They have to report to Arkansas Department of Human Services every six months.. They have lied and lied about their son to protect him at their daughters expense. For some unknown reason the boy is still in the home with the girls. God only know if this is still going on. In my eyes he is a CHILD MOLESTOR. HE SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE HOME. What kind of parents cover up for one child and hurt the others. I do not believe that this is what God has in mind for them. Frauding the American people and taking their money and living off of it.They did not build their home by themselves. They hired it done. TheDiscovery Health Channel and the TLC channel wrote them a check for over $200,000. for the to build the house. Everything inside the house was given to them except the kitchen. They did buy that themselves. The rest is all free. ... 
 
 Alice added, “God’s honest truth that the molestation happened. It happened to four of his 5 sisters. The oldest daughter was not touched. The second daughter is the one who caught him doing this. There was no rape involved, but molested. I could go into detail, but I won’t. Of course, you can find nothing about the charges. The Duggar’s want to keep this hid. Wouldn’t you?” 
 
 Since then, Duggar fans and haters have obsessively discussed these allegations on message boards like FreeJinger.org, a tongue-in-cheek anti-fundamentalist message board dedicated to watching and examining the Duggars. 
 
 “Alice”’s comment wasn’t the only source of the rumor. A commenter on a 2005 blog (now inaccessible, but preserved here on FreeJinger) alleged misconduct by an anonymous son of a “political” man and leader at her church. The commenter, “concernedmom,” wrote (emphasis added): 
 
 ...A few years ago ... the men of the church were meeting after church to discuss my friends teenage daughters apparel. They felt like their blouses were to tight and they should bind their chest up more, go figure. At the same time the son of one of these political men was touching one of my friends teenage daughters in a sexual way as she slept. This was found out and apologies were made although the boy was tempted by the girls tight blouses(lol). The boy was sent to one of the training centers to be punished??? My friends did not return to the home church for quite sometime after this. At this same time, the boy mentioned earlier was betrothed to a girl in the the group, both were 14 at the time. The betrothal was broken by the boys actions. ... Just this last year the family of the young man mentioned before was highlighted on the Discovery Channel, at the time they had 14 children and were about to have another and the mom was receiving a mother of the year award from our governor. Since that time the same boy was betrothed again to the same girl. He was working very hard on a campaingn for U.S. Senate for the girls father. The father lost the campaign. He immediately began looking for “sin in the camp”, as that could be the only explanation for the loss. He found that the young man betrothed to his daughter, had committed sexual sins(?) while on the campaign trail. The young man, now 16, was made to stand in fornt of the church and confess his sin. He was then told that the campaign was lost due to his sin. The weight of the world on this poor boys shoulders. I do not know what punishment the church gave but I do know that it was harsh enough for his mother to seek advise outside of the “group”, but she did eventually give in to her husband and the group. The young man and young girls betrothal is now broken. I am I nuts to see this as abuse? And what do you think can be done? 
 
 A commenter on FreeJinger adds, 
 
 So you can see, the “young man” in the story would be the son of the Discovery family (Duggars), and the politician running who goes on about “sin in the camp” would be the girl’s father. Since the Holts are a family that were featured early on in the Duggar specials, and Jim Holt seems to be running for office frequently, it makes them a likely candidate, and would mean that Josh was betrothed to a Holt daughter (twice), if this rumor is to be believed. 
 
 There are hundreds of comments like this on various Duggar blogs and message boards. Even if Discovery Health and TLC were not aware that Josh was investigated by police, it’s hard to believe that no one knew about the rumors of abuse. 
 
 2008: 19 Kids and Counting premieres on TLC 
 
 On September 29, 2008, the first episode of 19 Kids and Counting—then 17 Kids and Counting—premiered on TLC. The show has been one of TLC’s most popular programs ever since, chronicling the dating lives of the oldest Duggar children. Josh’s marriage and the births of his three children were all featured on the show. His fourth child is due in July. 
 
 2015: InTouch obtains police report through FOIA request 
 
 InTouch published a redacted version of the Springdale police report detailing Josh’s sexual misconduct on May 21, 2015. Josh admitted to the abuse hours later. According to TMZ, TLC has quietly pulled 19 Kids and Counting from its lineup for the time being. A rep for General Mills tells TMZ the company has removed the show from its current advertising schedule. ||||| Josh Duggar (Photo: D Dipasupil, Getty Images for Extra) 
 
 Arkansas police have destroyed the records of Josh Duggar's nearly decade-old molestation case. 
 
 Springdale Police spokesman Scott Lewis told the Associated Press that Judge Stacey Zimmerman ordered the 2006 offense report destroyed Thursday. Zimmerman didn't return a request for comment on Friday. 
 
 "The judge ordered us yesterday to expunge that record," Lewis said, adding that similar records are typically kept indefinitely. "As far as the Springdale Police Department is concerned this report doesn't exist." 
 
 The move came a day after the 19 Kids and Counting reality TV personality resigned his position as a lobbyist for the Family Research Council after news of sexual misconduct allegations from his teenage years surfaced. 
 
 Meanwhile, TMZ is reporting that Duggar has withdrawn from an Ohio homeschooling convention he'd been scheduled to attend. 
 
 The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which obtained the offense report before its destruction, reports Duggar was accused of fondling five girls in 2002 and 2003. Duggar issued an apology Thursday on Facebook. On Friday, TLC, the network that airs 19 Kids, announced they are pulling reruns from their schedule. (The 10th season concluded on May 19.) 
 
 Springdale Police began investigating Duggar in 2006 when officers were alerted to a letter containing the allegations that was found in a book lent by a family friend to someone else. 
 
 The report, originally published by tabloid In Touch Weekly, states that a member of Harpo Studios, the producer of Oprah Winfrey's then show, received an email containing the allegations before the family was set to appear in 2006. The tipster warned producers against allowing the Duggars on the show and studio staff members faxed a copy of the email to Arkansas State Police. 
 
 Neither Duggar nor his father, a former state representative, returned calls seeking comment Friday. 
 
 Several Arkansas Republicans have rallied behind the Duggar family, which is still engrained in state politics. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar attended the kickoff event earlier this month for Republican presidential nominee Mike Huckabee, who supported the family in a Facebook post on Friday. 
 
 "Those who have enjoyed revealing this long ago sins in order to discredit the Duggar family have actually revealed their own insensitive bloodthirst, for there was no consideration of the fact that the victims wanted this to be left in the past and ultimately a judge had the information on file destroyed — not to protect Josh, but the innocent victims," Huckabee wrote. 
 
 Contributing: The Associated Press 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1HoQWHv ||||| LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — TLC pulled the reality series "19 Kids and Counting" from its schedule on Friday, a move that follows reports of sexual misconduct allegations against one of the stars, Josh Duggar, stemming from when he was a juvenile. 
 
 FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2014, file photo, Josh Duggar, executive director of FRC Action, speaks in favor the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark.... (Associated Press) 
 
 In a statement, the channel said it was "deeply saddened and troubled by this heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and victims at this difficult time." The statement didn't elaborate. 
 
 Also Friday, Arkansas police said they had destroyed a record outlining a nearly decade-old investigation into Duggar, a day after the 27-year-old resigned his role with a prominent conservative Christian group amid reports about the allegations. 
 
 The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which obtained the offense report before its destruction, reports Duggar was accused of fondling five girls in 2002 and 2003. Duggar issued an apology Thursday on Facebook for unspecified bad behavior as a youth and resigned his role as executive director for FRC Action, the tax-exempt legislative action arm of the Washington-based Family Research Council. 
 
 "I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions," Duggar wrote. "In my life today, I am so very thankful for God's grace, mercy and redemption." 
 
 No charges were filed against Duggar, and the report says investigators concluded the statute of limitations had passed, according to the newspaper. 
 
 Duggar appears on the TLC reality show "19 Kids and Counting," which stars his family. He is the oldest of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's 19 children. 
 
 TLC didn't address whether its popular show would return. The program had been set to air in reruns after wrapping its most recent season. 
 
 Springdale Police began investigating Duggar in 2006 when officers were alerted to a letter containing the allegations that was found in a book lent by a family friend to someone else. 
 
 The report, originally published by tabloid In Touch Weekly, states that a member of Harpo Studios, the producer of Oprah Winfrey's then show, received an email containing the allegations before the family was set to appear in 2006. The tipster warned producers against allowing the Duggars on the show and studio staff members faxed a copy of the email to Arkansas State Police. 
 
 Springdale Police spokesman Scott Lewis said Judge Stacey Zimmerman ordered the 2006 offense report destroyed Thursday. Zimmerman didn't return a request for comment on Friday. 
 
 "The judge ordered us yesterday to expunge that record," Lewis said, adding that similar records are typically kept indefinitely. "As far as the Springdale Police Department is concerned this report doesn't exist." 
 
 Neither Duggar nor his father, a former state representative, returned calls seeking comment Friday. 
 
 Several Arkansas Republicans have rallied behind the Duggar family, which is still engaged in state politics. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar attended the kickoff event earlier this month for Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who supported the family in a Facebook post on Friday. 
 
 "Those who have enjoyed revealing this long ago sins in order to discredit the Duggar family have actually revealed their own insensitive bloodthirst, for there was no consideration of the fact that the victims wanted this to be left in the past and ultimately a judge had the information on file destroyed_not to protect Josh, but the innocent victims," Huckabee wrote. 
 
 Arkansas Sen. Bart Hester said Josh Duggar, who he has known for about five years, has been open and honest about the incident with wife, family and friends. State Sen. Jon Woods, who has known the Duggar family since 2005, said the family had put the issue behind them. 
 
 "It's between the family members and was addressed a long time ago but it's new to the public," Woods said. "The family had time to heal and now the public needs time to heal." 
 
 Last October, TLC canceled a series about child beauty pageant contestant Honey Boo Boo and her Georgia family amid reports that her mother, June Shannon, was dating a man with a criminal past. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Follow Allen Reed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Allen_Reed ||||| In the ever-continuing quest to find the very worst television available to watch and mock, I happened upon the TLC double-header 14 Children and Pregnant Again! and 16 Children and Moving In. I’d read about them on the internets. I was home, and working, and I let both one-hour specials play through in the background. Though I missed a few scenes, I think I got the whole Duggar experience. And, my gods, what an experience it was. 
 
 It was, in some ways, both more and less than what I’d feared. 
 
 First, the less: The kids seem to be clean, and fed, fairly-well educated in the style their parents have chosen, and behave better than most. They were completely spit-shined for the television cameras, but let’s assume that they’re at least sort of like that most of the time. The home is organized within an inch of its life, but with 14 kids? I think it would descend into world-ending chaos were it not forcibly scheduled. It’s admirable that the Duggars seem (at least in the first special) to avoid debt or handouts, choosing to live simply and within their means. This is tempered a bit by the massive amounts of product placement (and freebies, I’d imagine, unless Jim Bob is making substantially more than most legislators/used car dealers) in the second. 
 
 So, in some ways, not as awful as I could imagine. 
 
 However, in others? Shudder. 
 
 I find religion, like anything potent, is best in moderation. The Duggars are one of the Quiver full folks, a mix of Protestant and patriarchy, with some good old-fashioned sexism tossed in. Women are to submit to husbands, dress like Laura Ingalls Wilder, and remain barefoot, pregnant, and housewives forever and ever, Amen. Which obviously sounds terrible to me. But, hey–choice is choice. 
 
 But this choice is so creepy, not just for mom, but for her brood. Between home-school and home-church, the kids seem to have no formal external social contact. They did seem to have some friends. Another large family was shown in the program, their kids hanging out with (and, if I’m not mistaken, making eyes at) the Duggar siblings. But they don’t seem to have been exposed to anything… different. Ever. No TV, no pop music, no modern clothes or toys. No internet. Just… piano and violin and building stuff and doing chores. 
 
 The kids were interviewed. The girls spoke softly and, when asked what they wanted to do, said they planned to marry and raise children like their mom. None of the daughters were very old, though, so that may change–most little girls want to be like their mother, I think. The gender balance is a bit skewed, with 10 boys and 6 girls by the end of the second special. The first 3 children are boys, and the oldest is 17 (possibly 18 by now). 
 
 I wonder what will happen to them as they start, in sequence, to become adults. I’m pretty sure the people that tuned in to the shows or wrote about them will be interested, too. 
 
 And that, I think, could be their undoing. They have some level of fame right now, and have come into or at least finally realized some money, be it cash or salable property. It is different, to have things, distractions. They were able, by the second special, to finish their enormous dream home–some 7K square feet tricked out with all kinds of stuff I’m pretty sure wasn’t solely from the meager family budget mentioned so often in the first show. 
 
 Is it going to change the way those kids behave, to have this new stuff? To have the private spaces and locked doors that didn’t exist in their 3BR, 2BA rental home? 
 
 Yes, the math you’re doing in your head is correct. 14 children plus 2 parents is 16 people. That’s 7 children per bedroom and 8 people per bathroom. You would have to schedule taking a shit. And taking a shower. On totally different schedules. 
 
 And that’s feeding 16 people–a really large dinner party for most of us–every single day. 
 
 One of the most amazing things about seeing this on film was the sheer scale of things. Things like their pantry, which (in the new home) is industrial shelving, like at the supermarket. It has a local market’s worth of supplies, too. Or the family car–which is actually a bus. The 16-person passenger model doesn’t fit them all anymore. 
 
 Mom Duggar is probably the oddest character at this perpetual soiree. She has wide blue eyes that always look sort of hopped-up and manic. Her grin is forced, wide, and toothy. Clearly, she is well-intentioned, but oddly… boastful. I mean, it’s expected that parents would brag about their offspring, but she seemed really focused on quantity, not quality. 
 
 She assures the cameras that she is just a normal mom. Once they decided to give her womb to God, and more and more children came, it got chaotic… but now that she has older children, it seems to be getting easier. Her mad organizational skills (every child has a buddy! and there is a chart full of post-it notes! daughters do the cooking and sewing! sons build things and clean their own toilets!) may be part of the improvement, but by and large seems to be her kids carrying the brunt of the housemaking work. 
 
 The sheer responsibility the children bear bugs me. Their day is scheduled far more tightly than any yuppie prepster’s, even if they never leave the house. Devotions, heavy chores, prayer, schoolwork, attending to their siblings. Grade-schoolers are responsible for dressing, feeding, and watching toddlers. Teens are responsible for helping, directing, and advising youths. Cleaning up. Scrubbing floors. Making dinner. Doing laundry. 
 
 I’m all for chores, and I guess the children in our forebears’ time had a lot more to do, and a much higher mortality rate to do it with. At a certain point, there are enough kids that even a family farm’s worth of chores would be only a few tasks per kid. 
 
 But kids responsible for kids–that’s when you have too many. Parents should be responsible for their children. I get the need for childcare, and for some amount of older-sibling babysitting. Builds character, teaches responsibility. Lets you practice on your own siblings before selling your services to people with charges you don’t know. But in the Duggar family the ‘buddy system’ seems to be a permanent assignment, not occasional help. 
 
 I suppose whatever my views on raising children, the fact is that I don’t have any, and I certainly don’t have 14. But I once was a child, and I was raised by good parents who paid attention and taught me things. They only had 2 kids, and that sometimes seemed like a lot. 
 
 I can’t imagine having the kind of relationship with my mom that I do if I’d had ten siblings. As it was, the family was kind of divided down gender lines. Even at 1:1, I sometimes wish I knew my dad better. Sure, there’s enough love to go around, but is there enough time for 8 kids per parental unit? And what of the troubled kid or the handicapped kid or the sick kid or the slow kid? That’s a tough lot to pull off, even if you only have one or two children. I’ve known a handful of families with handicapped or sick kids, and even the best of parents struggle to make sure the healthy children don’t feel left out. 
 
 It feels so weird, to be objecting to Mom of the Year on what amounts to, “For The Children.” But what kind of people are the young Duggars growing up to become? It’s not just the giant lace doily necklines, long hair, and skirts to the floor. It’s the fact that men are in control, always. It’s that women are relegated to one type of life–mother and homemaker. Music and literature include only hymns and the Bible. There is no variety, no controversy, no brilliance or daring. 
 
 But if we all convert, and have giant yawning acres of suburban hedgerows, won’t we just all collectively freak out at some point and bust it up with an era even nuttier than the 60s? And I’m not sure what could be crazier than shag rug and those idiotic pochahontas outfits. ||||| WARNING: Graphic descriptions contained in police report. 
 
 Jim Bob Duggar waited more than a year after his son, Josh, confessed to sexually molesting several female minors before contacting police, In Touch Magazine is reporting exclusively, based on information contained in the official police report. 
 
 What’s more, Jim Bob informed the elders of his church about Joshua’s actions and they waited three months before contacting authorities. The explosive new information is contained in a Springdale, Ark., police report obtained by In Touch magazine. 
 
 RELATED: Josh Duggar Breaks His Silence Regarding Child Molestation Allegations 
 
 The report has been hidden since 2006 and was just obtained by the mag through a Freedom of information Act request. Jim Bob also refused to allow police to interview Josh when they opened a felony investigation in 2006. The Duggars star on TLC’s hit show 19 Kids and Counting. 
 
 In Touch magazine first broke the news of the Duggars’ underage sexual molestation scandal in this week’s magazine. (Note: Josh’s name is redacted from the police report but In Touch has confirmed the passages that refer to him.) 
 
 Other bombshells in the police report are: 
 
 Josh Duggar was investigated for multiple sex offenses — including forcible fondling — against five minors. Some of the alleged offenses investigated were felonies. 
 
 Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were interview by the Springdale Police department on Dec. 12, 2006. 
 
 The report says that James told police he was alerted in March, 2002 by a female minor that Josh — who turned 14-years-old that month — had been touching her breasts and genitals while she slept. This allegedly happened on multiple occasions. 
 
 In 2006, Jim Bob told police that in July, 2002 Josh admitted to fondling a minor’s breasts while she slept. “James said that they disciplined (redacted, Josh) after this incident.” The family did not alert authorities. 
 
 Jim Bob told police that about nine months later in March, 2003 “there was another incident.” Josh was again accused by a female minor of touching her breasts and genitals. Josh was accused by several minors of touching their genitals, often when they slept, but at times when they were awake. 
 
 RELATED: 19 Kids and Counting Crew Member Arrested For Child Pornography 
 
 Jim Bob then “met with the elders of his church and told them what was going on.” No one alerted the police or any other law enforcement agency. Instead they decided to send Josh to a “program [that] consisted of hard physical work and counseling. James said that [redacted, Josh] was in the program from March 17, 2003 until July 17, 2003.” 
 
 He said the program was a “Christian program.” Michelle Duggar later admitted to police that Josh did not receive counseling and instead had been sent during that time to a family friend who was in the home remodeling business. 
 
 Asked about the training center that Jim Bob said Josh was sent to, Michelle told police, according to the report, “it was not really a training center. Det. [Darrell] Hignite asked if the guy [redacted, Josh] talked to was a certified counselor. She said no. She said it was a guy they know in Little Rock that is remodeling a building. Det. Hignite asked if the guy was more of a mentor. She said “kind of.” 
 
 The Duggars told police that Josh “apologized” to the female minors and that they had “forgiven” him. 
 
 An alleged victim told police in 2006 that Josh had told “mother and dad what had happened… (and) asked for forgiveness." The report notes the alleged victim says Josh “sought after God and had turned back to God. 
 
 Jim Bob told police that “several members of their church were aware of the situation and had been supportive of the family.” 
 
 Police interviewed several of the alleged minor victims in December, 2006. They told police that Josh had touched their breasts and sex organs. 
 
 The Duggar family. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) 
 
 Jim Bob told police in 2006 that when Josh returned home in 2003, Jim Bob, accompanied by some of his church elders, took Josh to Arkansas State Trooper, Jim Hutchens. Jim Bob knew Hutchens personally. Hutchens did not take any official action and instead gave Josh a “very stern talk.” As In Touch magazine reports exclusively in this week’s issue, Hutchens is now serving 56-years in prison for child pornography. He took no action on the Duggar case. 
 
 The Duggars told police that at the time Josh was accused of, and admitting to, these sexual acts, “a family friend aware of what had happened had written down in a letter what he knew of [redacted, Josh’s] actions…That letter had been placed in a book and had subsequently been forgotten about. Just recently [in 2006] the book had been loaned to someone else with the letter in it and another person discovered the letter. 
 
 The Duggars refused to tell police who wrote the letter and who found it. 
 
 When the family was scheduled to appear on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in 2006, an email was sent to the show warning them about the alleged molestation. The email was written by a 61-year-old female who is not identified. 
 
 Harpo Studios faxed the letter to the Department of Human Services hotline. The report was then opened for investigation, leading to the investigation by Springdale police. 
 
 When police asked Jim Bob to bring Josh in for an interview in 2006, he attempted to hire a lawyer and refused to produce his son for questioning. At least two lawyers refused to take his case. “Det. Hignite received a voice mail from Mr. Duggar stating that [redacted] had hired an attorney and would not be coming in for an interview.” 
 
 In Touch magazine broke the story of Josh Duggar’s dark past in the issue currently on sale. The magazine obtained the police report, hidden since 2006, through a Freedom of Information Act request. 
 
 Police had to abandon pursuing charges because the [then] three-year statute of limitations had expired. 
 
 The alleged victims all described a consistent scenario of Josh touching their breasts and genitals and later apologizing. They said Jim Bob was aware of the situation and did not go to authorities for more than a year.
– Arkansas cops destroyed Josh Duggar's police file last week, but an online copy is revealing details of his alleged sexual crimes. A judge ordered police to erase the records amid allegations that the reality TV star on 19 Kids and Counting had molested five underage girls as a teenager, the AP reports via USA Today. "The judge ordered us yesterday to expunge that record," a police rep said on Friday. "As far as the Springdale Police Department is concerned this report doesn't exist." But a redacted copy posted by In Touch says Duggar confessed to authorities and received no punishment—just a "very stern talk" from a state trooper, People reports. That was 16 months after Duggar first admitted "wrong-doing" to his father, Jim Bob, the reports say. Duggar also sought rehabilitation at the Institute in Basic Life Principles Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, before going to police, adds People. The Center purports to "strengthen individuals and families through sound Biblical teachings," its website says, but has been called a place "where these kids almost disappear" and was investigated by Child Protective Services. The Center's founder, 79-year-old Bill Gothard, resigned after accusations last year of sexual harassment and assault against 34 women. Duggar's alleged crimes were no secret either, torpedoing a Duggar family appearance on Oprah in 2006 and coming up on a message board a year later, Gawker reports. "Oprah was informed that Josh ... had been molesting his sisters," reads one comment. "Yes, this is the truth."