When Josh Duggar molested five young girls in his teen years, his parents intervened in order to prevent him from facing any sort of legal consequences.
And when he was arrested on child pornography charges back in April, Josh’s parents once again sprang into action in order to protect him from the law.
Had he not come from a wealthy, powerful family, Josh would probably be awaiting trial in jail right now.
Instead, Jim Bob Duggar hired him a top-notch attorney for his bail hearing and personally arranged for his son to reside in the home of family friends.
Yes, the judge in Josh’s case wisely decided that he should not be permitted to share a roof with any minors.
And since Josh is a father of six (with a seventh on the way), the court refused to release him to his own home.
The 33-year-old is now living with the Reber family (below).
These are friends of Jim Bob’s whom even diehard Duggar fans had never heard of until Josh moved in with them.
The Rebers’ two children are over the age of 18, so Josh is permitted to live with them under the terms of his parole.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that Josh’s new caretakers are thrilled by the idea of sharing living quarters with a known sexual predator.
There were indications of trouble right off the bat, as someone within the Reber home called 911 on one of the first nights of Josh’s release.
The reason for the call is still unknown, and the authorities have not been alerted to any disturbances since.
Josh has a long and well-documented history of predatory behavior, and he should absolutely be awaiting his trial from a jail cell.
But at least parents in northwest Arkansas can take comfort in the fact that he’s currently isolated in the middle of nowhere.
The Rebers reside in a town that’s home to just 1,071 citizens.
And according to a new report from Fox News, Josh is holed up in an isolated corner of the family’s property, where — per court order — he’s not even allowed to use the internet.
"The area where the home is located is indeed desolate," a local source tells the outlet.
"Very few cars passed through the neighborhood on Sunday."
The witness adds that the property is "hidden," instilling an "uneasy" feeling in passersby.
"I feel that before Josh’s scandal the property was better taken care of than it is now," says the onlooker.
"But I understand that a 24/7 babysitter of an adult probably doesn’t have the time to keep a very manicured lawn."
The insider went on to say that casual observers could be forgiven for thinking the home is abandoned.
"The home just looked closed up," the witness said.
"It appears oppressive. There’s just this heaviness when you go past it."
The source confirmed that the Rebers’ home is far from any neighbors and difficult to access.
"The area is very isolated so it’s obvious Josh doesn’t have access to a lot of people," said the insider.
The decision to release Josh pending his trial – which is scheduled to begin on July 6 – was made by the Judge Christy Comstock, who presided over his bail hearing, but will not be the judge in his criminal trial.
"I have full confidence in the United States Marshal Service to find you if you decide not to comply with these conditions of release, so don’t make me regret this decision," Comstock told Josh at the hearing.
"You won’t, your honor, thank you very much," he replied.
"He has shown the court he has a history dating back 20 years that shows a sexual attraction to children and the deviousness of his activity," argued prosecutors who requested that Josh be denied bail.
"He has not left the jurisdiction, he has not left the country, he has not done anything at all other than continue to live his life in this judicial district where he has deep roots," Justin Gelfand, one of Duggar’s attorneys said.
Like the residents of Washington County, we’re not thrilled with the idea of Josh being out in the world — but we’re holding out hope that justice will be served in his trial next month.