Amy Duggar talked about what life was like growing up as the Duggar kids’ “rebellious” cousin on the new episode of The Viall Files, even revealing what happened when she allegedly found a slew of p0rnagraphic images on a computer that once belonged to her then-teenage cousin, Josh. The incident— which obviously occurred many years before Josh was arrested and convicted of receiving child sex abuse materials (CSAM) in 2021— was quickly explained away by Josh’s dad Jim Bob Duggar.

Amy— who is now estranged from her uncle Jim Bob and many other members of the Duggar clan— told podcast host Nick Viall that she happened upon the X-rated images after her dad bought a computer that had previously belonged to Josh. While looking through the MacBook, Amy said she clicked into something that said, “Josh’s Files.”

“I clicked on it thinking, like, you know, you forgot to delete it,” she said. “And thousands of p0rnographic images were on there. And so here’s this perfect son who smiles on cue and his hair is neatly gelled and all of these things. And yet he had kind of a big secret, you know…something he was really struggling with, clearly. It’s not a crime…it just shows that something’s off.” 

Amy clarified that the files she allegedly found on the computer were legal p0rnographic images, so the images showed adults and not minors, unlike the images Josh was discovered to have on his work computer after his used car lot was raided in 2019. (Josh was eventually convicted of receiving CSAM in December 2021 and is currently in prison for his crimes. He is set to be released in December 2032.) 

Still, the images were not what you would expect someone like Josh to be looking at, according to Amy. 

As 19 Kids & Counting fans will remember, Josh was often the spokesperson for his very religious fundamental Christian family. He was portrayed on the show as a Godly and wholesome teenager who followed the teachings of his parents’ religious organization, the IBLP.

“[The Duggars] were all about, you know, just Jesus and religion and being happy and walking in His ways,” Amy said. “And yet, [Josh’s secret p0rn stash] obviously wasn’t.” 

Amy reported what she had found on the computer to her mother, Deanna, who immediately called Jim Bob.

“I was quickly dismissed,” Amy said of Jim Bob’s reaction to finding out that Josh had p0rn on the computer. “I was told that, ‘Amy, there’s no way that’s my son’s files. He would never look at such imagery.”

Amy went on to state that Jim Bob quickly explained the p0rnographic images away.

“He said that Josh bought the computer from a pawn shop, so that could have been the name of the guy from the pawn shop,” Amy said.

Jim Bob’s explanation for his son’s behavior was likely a way for him to maintain the family’s very wholesome image.

“There were on the highest level you could possibly be with Jesus,” Amy said of the holier-than-thou Duggars. “Just like, there was no other— you couldn’t get higher, you know what I mean? Everything was so perfect. I can’t even describe to you. Like there’s bread baking, homemade bread, and the kids are playing chess and everyone’s so kind to each other, and there’s classical music in the air.”

As The Ashley has previously reported, Josh had secretly been getting into trouble for years as a teenager, eventually admitting to molesting four of his underage sisters, as well as another minor female, when he was a teen. That scandal was kept hidden for years, but was eventually exposed by In Touch Weekly in 2015. TLC cancelled “19 Kids & Counting” in the wake of the scandal, only to have Josh exposed for cheating on his wife, Anna, months later. At that point, he admitted to having an addiction to p0rn.

“I have secretly over the last several years been viewing p0rnography on the Internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife,” he said in a statement released in August 2015. 

According to Amy, Jim Bob (and the family) have continued to defend Josh to this day, just as Jim Bob did when she allegedly found the p0rn files on the computer years ago.

“They’re just like, ‘My son would never do that,'” she said. “And they got it wrong.”

Later in the interview, Amy revealed that she now has a little bit of grace for Josh.

“I feel like he did try to get help,” she said. “I feel like he did [as a teen] say, ‘I have a problem. Someone help me.’ And no one came to his rescue. I think [his sexual deviance] was unchecked. No one, you know, got him the help. IBLP doesn’t believe in counseling.” 

Amy went on to say that she suspects Josh was possibly sexually abused himself before committing his crimes.

“I think there has to be someone somewhere that did something to where it began,” she said. “But I have no idea who. And they went to, like, family camps and conferences. There was people all around. Like I said, there was always people in the house. But I don’t know who it was. I have no idea.” 

You can watch Amy’s full interview with The Viall Files below.

RELATED STORY: Josh Duggar Reveals He Has 20 Cents in Prison Bank Account Due to Family No Longer Sending Him Money

(Phots: Instagram; TLC)