As disgraced former 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar fights for a fourth and final time for the chance to appeal his child sex crime conviction, a series of text messages Josh sent following his 2021 conviction show the felonious fundie slamming his parents for prioritizing their public image over him and allegedly acting in ways that ultimately contributed to him winding up behind bars.  

Among the flurry of fired-up messages obtained by People was a text from the 38-year-old father of seven to his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, in which Josh claimed to be “very disappointed” in his mom and dad. 

“I feel like you just don’t receive criticism or take admission for your own actions THAT HAVE DIRECTLY AFFECTED [sic] MY LIFE, including in this situation,” Josh wrote, more than a week after he was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for receiving Child Sex Abuse Materials (CSAM). 

Throughout other messages, Josh reportedly maintained his innocence to Michelle, while also blaming his former friend Caleb Williams for the CSAM images and videos discovered on the work computer of Josh’s now-shuttered car lot, Wholesale Motorcars. In one of those texts, Josh also told his mom (in all caps, natch) that he was not blaming her for his current situation, but suggested that she was blaming him.

“ … AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW THE TRUTH – YOU SAID THAT YOURSELF TODAY,” Josh wrote. 

In another text, Josh accused his parents of acting in ways that had hurt him following his conviction, while also suggesting that they should be less concerned about making themselves “look good” to the public. 

“I just think you don’t get it,” Josh wrote. “[Y]ou don’t understand how you have hurt me and you keep trying to make yourselves ‘look good’ instead of trying to be concerned about your responses to my charges or anything else in my life.” 

Three months later, Josh sent a similar message to Michelle from behind bars in which he (rather eerily) cautioned her to make changes to ensure that other children– presumably his siblings– never find themselves in the situation he’s in. 

“[T]he public statements and pr work to save shows and public images [I] feel were placed above family relationships … and still are to this day,” Josh wrote, before going on to ask that his mom “consider her role and change so that other children are not in the same situation later.” 

(As you know, Josh’s younger brother Joseph Duggar was just arrested in March for allegedly sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl in 2020 during a vacation in Florida. )   

Two days after sending the ominous message to Michelle, Josh followed-up by asking his mom if the unfair treatment he felt he was receiving from her was “maybe because of [her] own guilt?” 

While Josh’s initial prison release date was slated for August 2032, his sentence has been extended three times– most recently in April. Josh is now set to be released from prison on February 2, 2033. 

RELATED STORY: Joseph Duggar Demands to Question Investigators & Witnesses Who Spoke to Alleged Victim in His Child Molestation Case: Details  

(Photos: TLC; Instagram)