Josh Duggar Once Boycotted Gas Station For Distributing Pornography Before Becoming Convicted Sex Offender 20 Years Later

The former reality star was once so opposed to pornography that he organized a protest at a local gas station that stocked X-rated magazines

Long before he was a convicted sex offender charged with receiving and possessing child sex abuse materials, Josh Duggar was so vehemently opposed to anything X-rated that he once formed a boycott of a local gas station that carried pornography.

In her memoir Counting the Cost, which was released in September 2023, Jill Duggar Dillard recalls her brother, now 36, forming the special boycott club when he was 12 years old.

Related: The 10 Biggest Bombshells from Jill Duggar Dillard's Memoir 'Counting the Cost'

Jill wrote that it was their father, Jim Bob Duggar, who had told the children about the gas station selling the magazines during their evening Bible time.

"We were all shocked and upset," she wrote. "My older brothers Josh and John were determined to do something about it."

Jill says that Josh and John invited a few other homeschooled boys to form the "Boys Christian Outreach Team—known as the Boycott Club for short." She noted that their mission was to buy a bunch of Christian leaflets explaining how to become a Christian and hand them out around town, and "try to persuade everyone they knew to boycott the gas station."

Jill also indicated that all of the Duggar children were dissuaded by their parents from learning about anything that was sexual in nature from the time they were young.

"For as long as I can remember, my parents warned us regularly about the dangers of sin. They told us that sin came in many forms, like lying, stealing, disobeying our parents, or being a tattletale (which my parents called 'stirring up contention among the brethren'). But perhaps the most dangerous and destructive sins of all were around sex and temptation," Jill wrote.

Related: Amy Duggar King Calls Out Jim Bob Duggar for Not Protecting His Daughters from 'Predator' Josh Duggar

She also explained that their mother, Michelle Duggar, warned the girls in the family about the dangers of dressing inappropriately.

"I learned from your dad that men aren’t like us girls," Michelle told Jill, according to Counting the Cost.

"When women wear tight or revealing clothes that show certain parts of their skin between their collar bone and knees, it gets guys going and can stir up sensual desires," she said. "It can make them think bad thoughts. When girls do that to men, they’re defrauding them. That’s not good, and it can lead them to sin.”

Despite the constant lessons about the dangers of sin and temptation, it came to light in 2006 that Josh had been investigated as a teen for inappropriately touching five underage girls, including his sisters.

Then, in 2015, a news report was released stating that Josh had active accounts on Ashley Madison, a website used for facilitating extramarital affairs. At the time, he admitted to cheating on his wife Anna Duggar and having a pornography addiction. ( Th couple wed in 2008 and share seven kids.)

Related: What We Know About the Child Pornography Case Against Josh Duggar, Which He Denies

"I have been the biggest hypocrite ever," he said in a statement at the time. "While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife."

Josh humbly asked the public for forgiveness. However, in April 2021, he was arrested by Homeland Security on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. He was found guilty on two charges, and sentenced in May 2022.

He is currently serving a nearly 13-year sentence at a correctional facility in Texas. He isn't expected to be released until October 2032.

Related: Josh Duggar Will Remain in Prison Until 2032 After Appeal in Child Pornography Case Is Rejected

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In her memoir, Jill revealed that her parents had sent Josh away as a child to address his impure thoughts and actions —  but by the time they filmed their first documentary special, he was already back home.

"By the time 14 Children and Pregnant Again! was complete, Josh had returned to live with us," she said. "His head had been shaved, I guess in an attempt to punish him or instill some humility. I wasn’t worried about him, though. I was a kid, and I trusted that things would get better now that Josh had been 'fixed.'"

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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