19 Kids and Counting cancelled by TLC in wake of Josh Duggar scandal

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TLC has officially cancelled 19 Kids and Counting
This comes almost two months after it was revealed Josh Duggar had molested minors as a teenager
The network also announced they have teamed with child-protection organizations for a campaign to raise awareness about child sexual abuse
They will air a one-time special about child molestation that will feature Jill and Jessa Duggar
The Duggar family thanked their fans in a statement and applauded the ability of Josh and their daughters in getting through a 'terrible situation'
A Discovery spokesperson said that the network is not ruling out a spin-off of the show featuring some of the Duggar children

By Chris Spargo For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: 09:04 EST, 16 July 2015 | Updated: 14:54 EST, 16 July 2015

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TLC is officially canceling 19 Kids and Counting.

The hit reality show 'will no longer appear on the air,' the network told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The show featuring the Duggar family had been in limbo since May after revelations that 27-year-old Josh Duggar molested five children including four of his sisters.

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Gone: TLC has officially cancelled 19 Kids and Counting after taking it off the air in early May

Gone: The family gathered for a photo earlier this week to celebrate their cousin Amy's engagement, but Josh was not pictured

For 10 seasons, it had chronicled the home life of Arkansas couple Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their now-19 children.

It was pulled from the network in May when reports surfaced of the molestations that occurred a dozen years earlier.

A Discovery spokesperson told CNN that the network is not ruling out a spin-off of the show however featuring some of the Duggar children, with Jill and Jessa seeming the most likely choices as they have both started families of their own.

TLC also announced it has teamed with two prominent child-protection organizations for an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about child sexual abuse.

The initiative will begin with a one-hour, commercial-free documentary likely airing in late August featuring Jill and Jessa Duggar.

With God’s grace and help Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward. We are so pleased with the wonderful adults they have all become.

'We spent the past month and a half in thoughtful consideration about what is the best way forward here,' said Marjorie Kaplan, group president of TLC, Animal Planet and Velocity networks.

'We took it as an opportunity to step further than just "How do we protect ourselves?" and step into "How do we protect our audience and protect children?"' said Kaplan.

'Our hope is to do more of that, in a way that's thoughtful and respectful of the victims of child abuse - in the Duggar family and across America.'

Kaplan added; 'The goal is to take what has been a difficult and painful experience, and focus that attention on the really critical issue of child protection and child sexual abuse.'

The Duggar family released a statement soon after TLC announced the cancellation of the show.

'Over the last several years people have said to us, "We love your show!" We have always responded, "It's not a show, it's our lives!" Our desire in opening our home to the world is to share Bible principles that are the answers for life’s problems,' wrote Jim Bob and Michelle.

'With God’s grace and help Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward. We are so pleased with the wonderful adults they have all become.'

They closed by saying; 'We know Who holds the future and are confident that He will work all things together for good. We love each of you and look forward to unfolding the future with peace and joy.'

Going forward: TLC will air a one-time special about child molestation that will feature Jill and Jessa Duggar (Jessa on right showing off her baby bump with Josh's wife Anna earlier this month)

Not good: The cancellation comes less than two months after it was revealed Josh Duggar (right with wife Anna) had molested minors as a teenager and his parents (left) had covered it up

Jill Duggar breaks down as she talks about Josh with sister Jessa

This news comes one month after InTouch obtained documents confirming that the Duggar family is still being investigated by local law enforcement and the Department of Human Services.

Those documents revealed that Tontitown Police and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department were at their home for 30 minutes in May after receiving a call that the reality TV family was barring an official from entering the premises.

It is not yet known however what the crime or incident is that is being looked into.

JOSH DUGGAR'S MOLESTATION OF MINORS

In March of 2002 an unnamed minor said that Josh Duggar, then 14, 'had been touching her breasts and genitals while she slept.'

He would admit to this a few months later in July, and a member of the family claims they had a meeting to discuss the incident.

Then, in March 2003, 'several' minors came forward to say that Josh had been touching them 'when they sleep,' leading to his father Jim Bob holding another family meeting and deciding to speak with elders at the family's church about the offenses.

It was suggested that Josh should enter a treatment program, at which point he spent four months in Little Rock, Arkansas helping a family friend remodel a building.

Upon his return, Jim Bob informed those aware of the situation that Josh had received counseling and took him to a family friend who was a state trooper to reveal what had occurred, resulting in the teenager getting a stern lecture but no formal report being filed by police.

By all accounts the offenses stopped and Josh apologized to the victim, but some time in 2006 an individual in the church who had borrowed a book from the Duggars found a note detailing Josh's molestation of minors.

That person then sent that information in an email to The Oprah Winfrey Show shortly before the Duggars were set to appear, and they in turn notified authorities who began conducted an investigation.

Jim Bob and Michelle along with all the victims were interviewed, though Josh was made unavailable to speak by his parents and no charges were pursued in the end as the statute of limitations had by that point run out.

Audio of a 911 call on May 27, also obtained by InTouch, revealed a human services team had reason to believe there was a welfare emergency concerning one of the family's 19 children at home in Washington County, Arkansas.

But according to the representative, they were refused entry and felt the need to call police.

'I'm at the Duggar family home... We have an investigation and I guess they're not being cooperative,' the worker told a 911 operator.

'We have to see the child to make sure the child is alright. We need police assistance or an escort.'

It came just days after Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, stars of '19 Kids and Counting', first spoke publicly about their son Josh's molestation of minors as a teenager. But until this news broke, they maintained there were 'no more secrets'.

In Arkansas anyone can make a call to the child abuse hotline if they suspect a child is being mistreated.

A human services team will investigate if they believe the call is legitimate and meets the standards of maltreatment law.

InTouch magazine used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the 911 call that was made by the caseworker requesting police help.

It is not known what child the caseworker is looking to see at the time.

Details of son Josh's molestation scandal revealed that the family was not as cooperative as they could have been back in 2006 when authorities learned what had happened years before.

In that case they failed to produce their son for an interview, though other family members spoke with police.

Members of the family opened up about that scandal last week, including Duggar children Jill and Jessa who were both victims of their brother's molestation.

Jill, who was 12 when the inappropriate touching took place, recalled feeling ‘sad' and ‘shocked’ at the revelation Josh had violated her and her sister.

‘This is my older brother whom I love, a lot,’ she remembered feeling.

The two sisters largely downplayed what went on between themselves and their older brother, calling the inappropriate touching ‘subtle’ and 'mild.'

‘It wasn’t like a horror story or this terrible thing,’ Jessa insisted in the interview, as both siblings stressed that the two of them and the rest of their family, including Josh, had dealt with the trauma and put it behind them a long time ago.

Emotional: Jill (Duggar) Dillard (above) breaks down as she details being molested by her brother in an interview

Going forward: The network will air a one-time special about child molestation that will feature two of the Duggar women (Duggars above in 2007)

Jessa Duggar also claimed that she knew 'so many girls who go through things way worse.'

The 22-year-old mother-to-be told the Fox News host: 'I do want to speak up in his defense against people who are calling him a child molester or a pedophile or a rapist, some people are saying.

'I'm like, that is so overboard and a lie, really. I mean, people get mad at me for saying that but I am like, I can say this, you know? I was one of the victims.'

THE DUGGAR FAMILY

Jim Bob, 49 (July 18, 1965)

Michelle, 48 (September 13, 1966)

Josh, 27 (Born March 3, 1988)

Jana, 25 (January 12, 1990)

John-David, 25 (January 12, 1990)

Jill, 24 (May 17, 1991)

Jessa, 22 (November 4, 1992)

Jinger, 21 (December 21, 1993)

Joseph, 20 (January 20, 1995)

Josiah, 18 (August 28, 1996)

Joy-Anna, 17 (October 28, 1997)

Jedidiah, 16 (December 30, 1998)

Jeremiah, 16 (December 30, 1998)

Jason, 15 (April 21, 2000)

James, 13 (July 7, 2001)

Justin, 12 (November 15, 2002)

Jackson, 10 (May 23, 2004)

Johannah, 9 (October 11, 2005)

Jennifer, 7 (August 2, 2007)

Jordyn-Grace, 6 (December 18, 2008)

Josie, 5 (December 10, 2009)

The girls did not entirely excuse their brother's actions, however, though even when they did point out a negative behavior the pair seemed too quickly find a way to explain or justify his actions.

'Josh was a boy, a young boy in puberty and a little too curious about girls,' explained Jessa.

'And that got him into some trouble. And he made some bad choices, but, really, the extent of it was mild - inappropriate touching on fully clothed victims, most of it while [the] girls were sleeping. '

After Josh Duggar, then 14, confessed the truth about fondling his sisters in their sleep to his parents, he asked Jill and Jessa individually for forgiveness.

The young women said they had a choice to make, and they chose to forgive him, but it took some time for them to rebuild the trust - time that Josh Duggar spent away from the rest of the clan at the command of his parents.

‘He knew in his mind his actions were wrong,’ Jessa Duggar said of her brother.

The sisters said when Josh Duggar was finally allowed to return home, he was a changed person who appeared both humbled and repentant.

‘Josh destroyed that trust in the beginning, and he had to rebuild it,’ said Jill.

In the wake of this interview some began to speculate that even if TLC canceled 19 Kids and Counting - as they have now done - they might still follow the family and focus instead on sisters Jill and Jessa and their growing families.

It was in early May that InTouch obtained and released the damning police report, leading to a statement almost immediately from Josh admitting to the claims made in the report.

'Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,' Josh, 27, said in a statement.

'I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling.'

Still troubles: It was revealed last month that police are still investigating Josh Duggar (family above in March)

TLC pull reality series '19 Kids and Counting' from schedule

Jim Bob and Michelle released their own statement as well, saying: 'Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives.

'When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes, and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.'

TLC'S CHILD MOLESTER PROBLEM

The Duggar child molestation scandal is just the latest in a long line of incidents involving inappropriate behavior by a TLC star with a minor.

-Here Comes Honey Boo Boo: The show was cancelled last year after photos emerged of star June Shannon, better known as Mama June, with her ex Mark McDaniel. McDaniel had just been released from jail at the time after serving time for molesting an 8-year-old girl. That girl was one of Shannon's daughters.

-Sons of Guns: Gunsmith and former Marine Will Hayden was charged with raping a 12-year-old girl, forcing TLC to quickly cancel the reality show. That girl was revealed to be his own daughter, and shortly after his other daughter came forward she too had been raped by Hayden when she was 12-years-old. He is currently awaiting trial.

-Cheer Perfection: Another reality the network had to cancel following a scandal, this time involving mother Andrea Clevenger who received two 10 year prison sentences when she was found guilty of having multiple sexual encounters with a boy who was just 13.

-Cake Boss: Remigio Gonzalez, who was married to the sister of the show's title character Buddy Valastro, received nine years in prison after he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl. While he did appear on that show, by the time these charges were brought against him he was no longer a character on the program.

The police report detailed Josh's molestation of five minors in 2002 and 2003.

He was never charged with a crime for the incidents as by the time police learned of the offenses the statue of limitations had passed, and his parents did not notify authorities in an official capacity at any point after learning about their son's actions.

It is also interesting to note that when the family moved into their custom built home in 2006, communal rooms for the male members of the family and female members of the family were on exact opposite sides of the 7,000-square-foot dwelling.

The distance is not the only thing that stood between the rooms either, with any Duggar hoping to spend time with one of their opposite-sex siblings first having to walk by Michelle's office and Jim Bob and Michelle's bedroom, letting the parents know what was going on at all times.

As a final precaution, the journey also requires a walk across an elevated catwalk that cuts through the family's two-story living room, another chance for people in the house to keep an eye on who was spending time together.

It was only when the family was set to make an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006 that someone reached out to producers and informed them of these prior incidents, leading those producers to contact authorities and notify them of what they had been told.

According to TMZ, the Harpo staff received the email at 7.30am on December 7 and contacted authorities immediately.

Police then called Michelle and Jim Bob at 1.17pm telling them they needed to bring their son in for questioning.

Winfrey meanwhile cancelled the planned interview immediately and sent the family home.

This sequence of events has many wondering how TLC and Discovery Health could have been unaware of the molestation claims. Oprah had the biggest talk show in the country at the time, and no doubt it took a lot of work to book the family on her show.

The network would have been thrilled at the publicity such an appearance would generate for their show. No doubt network executives would have demanded an explanation as to why the interview was cancelled at the last minute.

Meanwhile, it seems TLC has already found a replacement family for the Duggars, premiering their new reality series I Am Jazz on Wednesday night, just hours before they announced the cancellation.

That program follows the Jennings family and their daughter Jazz, a transgender teenager.

Michelle Duggar had previously campaigned against transgender individuals and their rights by narrating a robocall to local voters in 2014 over a proposed anti-discrimination ordinance in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

In that call she compared transgender individuals to 'child predators.'

DUGGAR FAMILY STATEMENT ON 19 KIDS AND COUNTING CANCELLATION

Today, TLC announced that they will not be filming new episodes of 19 Kids and Counting.

Years ago, when we were asked to film our first one hour documentary about the logistics of raising 14 children, we felt that it was an opportunity to share with the world that children are a blessing and a gift from God.

We are so thankful for our film crew that has shown up at our house for over a decade. They have become like family to us. They have invested their time and energy into our lives and have been so loving and patient. We love and appreciate them so much!

Over the last several years people have said to us, "We love your show!" We have always responded, "It's not a show, it's our lives!" Our desire in opening our home to the world is to share Bible principles that are the answers for life’s problems.

With God’s grace and help Josh, our daughters and our entire family overcame a terrible situation, found healing and a way forward. We are so pleased with the wonderful adults they have all become.

It is our prayer that the painful situation our family went through many years ago can point people toward faith in God and help others who also have lived through similar dark situations to find help, hope and healing, as well.

We appreciate the love, support, prayers and kindness extended to us by many of you. You have deeply touched our hearts and encouraged us, during this time.

God’s faithfulness and goodness to us, along with His abundant grace have given us strength and joy even in the most difficult days.

We have committed to Him that in all things—difficulties or success, good times or bad—we will purpose to bring Him honor by staying true to our faith and our family.

We look forward to working with TLC on this upcoming special documentary and hope that it is an encouragement to many.

We know Who holds the future and are confident that He will work all things together for good.

We love each of you and look forward to unfolding the future with peace and joy.

With Gratefulness,

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar family