Amy (Duggar) Kingis speaking out after her cousinJosh Duggar’ssentencingon Wednesday.
“Twelve and a half years isn’t enough, but I hope that every single second he’s there feels like an eternity,” Amy toldCelebuzz!in a statement.
She later opened up about the sentencing ina video on Instagram. “I can breathe,” she said in the clip. “He got 12, almost 13 years [in prison].”
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“I knew him getting the maximum sentence wasn’t going to be the easiest to prove since it’s his first offense in the judge’s eyes — which I hate — but at the same time, he cannot have his computer, he cannot hurt, exploit any more children and when he sees his kids, he has to be supervised,” she said. “And honestly, where he’s going, I feel like the prisoners are just gonna take care of him.”
Continuing, Amy noted that “this has been hurtful and stressful,” but she doesn’t believe “the case is over.”
“I think this is far from over. Josh’s sickness stems from somewhere, and eventually we will hear about the trauma. I don’t know when, or how, or who but eventually I think more will come out. But hopefully tonight, I can sleep for the first time ever and rest assured that another monster will be put behind bars makes my heart feel a little lighter.”
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Before the sentencing, Amy also shared the letter she would have sent to U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, who has presided over the trial and sentencing, with PEOPLE (she first shared the letter exclusively withThe Sun).
Amy Duggar King
That December, Josh was thenfound guilty of two chargesof knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography.
On Wednesday, with the agreement of both the defense and prosecution, the court vacated the conviction on count 2 without prejudice. Judge Brooks noted that possession is a lesser included offense of the receipt of child pornography.
Judge Brooks further ruled that Josh did not knowingly distribute pornography and sustained the defense’s objection to that potential enhancement to Duggar’s sentence.
As a result of Wednesday’s vacation, Josh was facing up to 20 years of imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines total (he previously faced that potential maximum sentence for each conviction).
Josh Duggar.Kris Connor/Getty
“May the juror’s [sic] and Judge Brooks seek healing/counseling from all that was exposed to them,” shetweetedat the time. “May the children grow up with real Godly men as father figures who will guide and protect them. May the people who were once in disbelief have their eyes opened for the first time.”
Amy also spoke out against Anna and Josh’s mother,Michelle Duggar. Recently, Josh’s wife and mom penned letters to a judge to help him secure a lighter sentencing — but Amy told PEOPLEshe’s “furious” at her familyas they “refuse to hold [Josh] accountable.”
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“I take a lot of intentional effort to protect my mind and heart and still, this has me crumpled,” she said. “But you know what? We’re not supposed to be ok in light of any of this. And I’m giving myself the grace to feel all the anger and sadness and disappointment running through me.”
RELATED VIDEO: Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar Speak Out After Eldest Son Josh Is Found Guilty on Child Porn Charges
Amy recently went as far as towrite an open letter to Anna, telling her there’s “no shame” in divorcing Josh.
“Someday your kids will be old enough to understand what kind of guy their father really is,” she continued. “You can’t protect them from the truth for forever! I’m saying all of this publicly so that when they do grow up, they will also know that they had family members shouting from the rooftops that they were worth protecting all along.”
Amy then asked for Anna to “be the role model” that her seven children “need.”
“Josh has chosen how history will remember him,” she added. “By staying and supporting him you’re allowing him to choose that for you, too.”
source: people.com
