Disgraced reality star 'Josh Duggar' transfer to new prison in Ohio

Josh Duggar, 38, has been moved to a new federal prison as he continues serving a 12-year sentence for possessing child sexual abuse material. Inmate records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons show the former 19 Kids and Counting star has been transferred from FTC Oklahoma City to FCI Elkton in Lisbon, Ohio.

KNWA/FOX24, an Arkansas-based outlet, first reported the move, citing a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson who confirmed Duggar arrived at Elkton on Wednesday, 8 July.

Fourth facility in a year

FCI Elkton is described on the Bureau of Prisons' website as "a low security federal correctional institution with an adjacent low security satellite prison." The facility currently houses more than 2,000 inmates.

The transfer marks the fourth prison Duggar has been held at within the space of a year. He previously spent four years at FCI Seagoville, roughly ten miles outside Dallas, before being moved in May to the Federal Medical Centre in Fort Worth. The reason for that move has not been disclosed, and a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson declined to comment when asked whether it was permanent.

FTC Oklahoma City, where Duggar was held most recently, functions as a temporary transfer centre for newly convicted inmates awaiting permanent placement.

Hundreds of miles from family

Duggar's placement at FCI Elkton leaves him more than 850 miles from his wife, Anna Duggar, and their family in northern Arkansas.

The latest transfer comes roughly a month after a federal judge rejected Duggar's attempt to have his 2021 conviction overturned. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Duggar had argued his constitutional rights were violated, citing "complex constitutional and evidentiary issues" and "errors in the admission of forensic evidence" during his trial.

U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks denied the appeal on procedural grounds, ruling that Duggar had filed the motion too late. Court records show a copy of the appeal reached the U.S. Attorney's Office on 29 July 2025, more than a month past the deadline.

Duggar, a father of seven, has said he has "worked diligently to focus on education, personal growth, my faith, and to maintain strong family ties" while in custody. He first filed for an appeal in October 2023, which was rejected that same month. He then escalated the case to the Supreme Court, which denied it again a year later.

Case background

Duggar was arrested in April 2021 by Homeland Security and sentenced in May 2022. His latest transfer also comes after his brother, Joseph Duggar, was accused of molesting a nine-year-old girl. Duggar is currently scheduled for release in February 2033, according to prison records.