It’s been almost eight months since Josh Duggar was convicted on child pornography charges.
The disgraced former reality star has spent most of that time in a county jailhouse in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
But last month, Josh’s life changed dramatically when he was transferred to a federal facility in Seagoville, Texas.
Not only is Josh much further from his family and friends in Arkansas, he now has a long list of new rules to follow.
Of course, Josh should probably get used to following lots of rules.
Because even when he gets out of prison (which hopefully won’t be for a very long time), he’s facing 20 years of supervised release.
And probation for known pedophiles is much different from probation for other types of offenders.
Josh was sentenced to 12 and a half years, but he’s eligible for early parole.
Duggar’s current release date is August 12, 2032, which means that with good behavior, he’ll be a free man at the age of 44.
Obviously, that’s a bad thing, as Josh is a repeat offender who has shown time and again that he’s incapable of abstaining from predatory, abusive behavior.
Fortunately, he’ll be under supervision from federal authorities until he’s well into his sixties.
And the terms of his probation make it clear that the feds will not be taking any chances when it comes to Josh.
According to court documents first obtained by TMZ, Josh will not be able to use the internet without first receiving special permission from his parole officer.
He’ll also have to attend regular counseling sessions for sex offenders, and he’ll be unable to view pornography of any kind.
Josh will be forced to submit to regular lie detector tests to ensure that he adheres to these rules.
But the most comforting aspect of his probation is that Josh will not be allowed to spend time alone with any minors.
That means he can’t even spend time with his own kids unless a court-approved supervisor is present.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is, the list of supervisors approved by the U.S. Probation Office will likely include Josh’s wife and parents.
For most offenders, that’s probably a sufficient level of supervision.
But Josh’s wife and parents turned a blind eye to his abuse for many years, and there’s no reason to believe that they won’t do the same once he’s released from prison.
We’re not saying that they would necessarily allow Josh to prey on children while they’re in the room, but we are saying that these people cannot be trusted to comply with the rules of Josh’s probation.
So what are we suggesting?
Well, some might say that keeping Josh locked up for the rest of his natural life would be an extreme solution.
But in a case like this, where the predator would be released right back into the culture of abuse that protected him for so long, it’s also the only solution.
Josh and those who enabled him don’t deserve any sympathy, and his victims deserve a lifetime of protection.