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Jana Duggar has reportedly been charged with “endangering the welfare of a minor” in Arkansas. The news comes just a day after her brother Josh Duggar was convicted of downloading and possessing inappropriate material related to children.
According to court documents issued by Washington County, the 19 Kids and Counting alum received a citation related to the case on September 9, 2021. She has been charged with misdemeanor but entered a plea deal.
The exact nature of her offense and details of the incident have not been made available to the public to safeguard the privacy of the involved minor. Jana Duggar has reportedly pled not guilty to the charges and is set to appear at a bench trial on January 10, 2022.
She could face up to three months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 if found guilty of the charges, as per the standard punishment rate mentioned in the Arkansas Sentencing Commission. Meanwhile, her brother is likely to face nearly 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines once sentenced.
It is not known if Jana Duggar’s case is somehow related to Josh Duggar’s conviction. The reality star and her family members have not addressed the situation publicly so far.
What is the meaning of "endangering the welfare of a minor"?
The charge related to endangering the welfare of a minor is a punishable offense under U.S. Law. The offense involves recklessly engaging in creating a risk or causing serious physical or mental harm to a person known by the actor as a minor.
According to Justia US Law, causing "serious harm to the physical or mental welfare" refers to physical or mental injury that causes “protracted disfigurement”, “protracted impairment of physical or mental health” or “loss or protracted impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ”.
As per US Legal, some instances that lead to endangering the welfare of a minor are as follows:
- A person knowingly allows an underage child to engage in a profession that possesses the risk of danger to their life or health.
- A person as a parent, guardian or anyone legally responsible with the care or custody of a minor, fails to implement “reasonable diligence” in the control of a child to prevent them from becoming a "dependent child" or a "delinquent child".
- A person knowingly permits a minor to enter or remain in a house inappropriate for the child.
- A person knowingly sells, furnishes, provides or offers to sell a child under a defined age any “intoxicating liquor, cigarettes, tobacco, air rifles, gunpowder, smokeless powder or ammunition for firearms”.
- A parent, guardian, foster parent or other person responsible for the care and custody of the child, treats the child cruelly by abuse, neglect or extreme punishment.
Endangering the welfare of a minor offense in third degree is considered to be a Class B misdemeanor. Jana Duggar faces a similar charge in Arkansas, but it is not known which of the offenses, if any, have been committed by the offender.
The TV star is currently unmarried and does not have any children of her own. It is unclear if she has ever been given responsibility for the care or custody of any child.
Who is Jana Duggar?
Jana Duggar is an American reality TV personality, best known for appearing in 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. She was born on January 12, 1990 along with her twin brother John-David Duggar.
The 31-year-old is the first and eldest daughter of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. She grew up with 18 siblings, including 10 brothers and eight sisters. Jana Duggar came under the spotlight as a member of the Duggar family in the 2004 documentary 14 Children and Pregnant Again.
Jana Duggar also co-wrote the book Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships with her sisters Jill, Jessa and Jinger. She has over 750K followers on Instagram and calls herself a home remodeler and gardening enthusiast.
