How Josh Duggar went from ’19 Kids and Counting’ star to rehab patient

To the viewers of TLC's '19 Kids and Counting', Josh Duggar was the quintessential example of an eldest son. However, behind closed-doors and behind a computer keyboard, Josh was anything except the god-fearing man he led fans of the family's TV show to believe.

In the wake of his continuous downward spiral, Josh Duggar has officially checked himself into a long-term rehabilitation treatment center.

While he progresses on his journey of finding wholeness and discovery, we took a look back at the scandals that pushed him from reality TV star to rehab patient.

Child molestation scandal

The first scandal to rock the Duggar clan came in the form of allegations regarding Duggar molesting five underage girls when he was a teenager. To add fuel to the fire, it was further reported that two of the five underage girls were his own sisters, Jill and Jessa. 

In the aftermath these revelations, not only did he resign from his position at the conservative lobbying organization Family Research Group, but the rest of his family also felt repercussions of his actions.

After more disturbing information surrounding the case continued to pour out, national sponsors of the Duggars'  widely popular TV show immediately pulled the plug. With brands refusing to advertise and associate themselves with an admitted child molester, Discovery Communications realized it was time for them to change the channel on the Duggar family, too. With that, Discovery seized all plans of producing future '19 Kids and Counting' material and said they would also no longer air old footage on the TLC Network. 

Regardless of the horrific crime Josh committed, his entire family stood behind him. Not only did his parents publicly announce their admiration for the man he grew to be, but Jill and Jessa also spoke out regarding the molestation and announced their support. To the Duggars, Josh was still the perfect, devout Christian man they had always thought him to be.

Unfortunately, as we soon learned, the molestation scandal was just the brink of what was hidden in Josh's private life.

Marriage infidelity scandal

Soon after Josh addressed the molestation scandal, proclaiming he acted inexcusably and was extremely sorry, he was then forced to address yet another situation... being unfaithful to his wife, Anna.

Following the hacking of  AshleyMadison.com, the website infamously associated with marriage infidelity, hackers immediately released alarming information that Josh Duggar was not only a member on the website, but he was a paid member at that. As a paid member, Josh was able to interact with potential extramarital partners by sending them priority messages or even virtual gifts. 

For the ultra-AshleyMadison user, the site also offers what it calls a money-back "affair guarantee." As such, for $250, one can purchase said 'guarantee' and can opt for a refund in the event they do not persue an affair within three weeks. As records show, Josh took advantage of the "guarantee" feature. A refund was never requested. 

Once again, Josh was forced to publically apologize for his actions. Released in a statement on the Duggar family website and social media page, Josh announced he frequently looked at porn on the internet and believed the act had reached the level of addiction. In the same statement, he went on to admit he had been unfaithful to his wife and refered to himself as the 'biggest hypocrite ever'. 

Journey to change

Now that the skeletons in Josh's closet have been exposed, The Duggars' announced Josh checked himself into a long-term treatment center.

Having previously admitted to being victim of a porn addiction, while in the treatment facility, he will be on a quest for 'wholeness and recovery'. 

After admitting his unfaithfulness, the Duggar's expressed how hurt they were by Josh's actions, but will remain supportive to their son.

The Duggar's are hopeful he comes to complete repentance and sincere change during his time in rehab. 

Information for this report was provided by Reuters, CNN and AshleyMadison.com.

Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @caitiesmith