Earlier this month, we checked in with the Duggar family regarding their seemingly ongoing Arkansas Department of Human Services investigation. In Touch Weekly keeps serving FOIA requests in Arkansas, which has led to a veritable treasure trove of information about Duggar-related investigations past and present. One FOIA request led In Touch to a 911 call placed by a DHS worker trying to gain entry into the Duggar home in late May – the Duggars would not comply with the DHS worker, so he called 911 and from there… In Touch really doesn’t know. FOIA requests only take you so far, especially if the investigation is ongoing. Well, In Touch is still on it, and they released this update on the situation.
An investigation into the Duggar family by the Arkansas Department of Human Services is ongoing, according to new documents obtained by In Touch magazine. The Duggars have remained silent about the investigation, as the fate of their reality TV show, 19 Kids and Counting, is still undecided. This is the second time they have been the subject of a DHS probe.
A DHS investigator made a 911 call to police on May 27 after being refused entry to the Duggar home while attempting to check on the welfare of a minor, as In Touch reported exclusively. New documents obtained by In Touch via the Freedom of Information Act show that both Tontitown police and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department responded to that call and were on the scene for about 30 minutes.
The Tontitown PD document reveals that the investigation is still ongoing. While Washington County gave In Touch its dispatch log, Tontitown did not, and instead redacted the document and listed the reason as, “This is a current active investigation.”
In Touch has also learned that when DHS investigates, the police are also alerted so that they can start their own investigation. The Duggars are not revealing the nature of the current investigation.
The family was investigated by DHS in late 2006 and into 2007 after police were forced to close their investigation into Josh Duggar, who molested five minors on at least seven occasions in 2002 and 2003. The statute of limitations had run out by the time police became aware of the situation in December 2006.
You can see In Touch’s documentation here. This is sort of a dry, sober story, but I appreciate the fact that In Touch is still working their leads, serving FOIA requests and looking into this mess. Previously, they admitted that a DHS investigation could have been kicked off merely through a tip to the hotline, or this ongoing investigation could have been started before the Josh Duggar story went public. We just don’t know. It could be nothing or it could be something terrible, but until the investigation is really through, we’ll probably never know. And not even that – DHS investigations and records are not subject to FOIA requests, only police investigations are subject to FOIA. So, basically, unless a Duggar is arrested or charged with a crime, we probably won’t know what’s going on.
Photos courtesy of Duggars’ Facebook.
When did In Touch become an investigative news source? Why is no one else looking into this?
It blows my mind. This is the magazine that photoshopped makeup onto Bruce Jenner’s face, and they are our most credible source of information on this putrid mess of a situation. On the one hand, bravo to ITW for flipping a 180 and showing some real journalistic integrity. On the other–just as you said– where are the actual investigative journalists? Why aren’t there more people digging into this? It’s strange, and it doesn’t sit quite right with me. At least we know the people who really need to be looking into it, DHS, are doing just that.
Well it goes to show you how far the so-called legitimate news sources have fallen in terms of investigative reporting and exposing the truth, no matter how ugly. Now it seems like most are more worried about staying in the good graces of someone or pushing their own agenda and don’t care about just revealing the truth to the public. I said to my husband the other day that if Watergate happened now it would hardly cause a soundbite! I’m glad to see this family being investigated. It’s long overdue. Sick of tv and magazines catering to their image of the sweet, perfect family with old fashioned values… I don’t know why all the stuff with Gothard and their Patriarchal beliefs haven’t been more of a source of news. Where are the people asking them the hard questions about putting the onus on their daughters for controlling male lust, or not encouraging university or really any higher education (despite what they say). Or what about TRUST? Or allowing their kids to have lives that don’t involve babysitting or cleaning? So glad to see the tide turning because there is nothing more disturbing than when people look at something that is really evil in so many ways and gush about how wonderful and sweet it is and how it would be such a great world if only everyone lived like they did and raised their kids like that (yeah, no doctors, no scientists, no birth control, being blamed if a man rapes you or molests you because you weren’t modest enough…great world! They don’t even allow their kids to read classic literature…everything has to be Bible based and ATI approved)
Does anyone remember the John Edwards scandal some years ago – a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination who cheated on his cancer-stricken wife and used campaign funds to try to cover it up? It wasn’t the mainstream media which broke the story, although all the information was out there – it was the National Enquirer, the mother of all tabloids.
There was an article about this very topic on Buzzfeed the other day – “How In Touch’s Duggars Coverage Has Changed Tabloid Journalism” – that did a decent job of explaining this.
I worked in conjunction with DHS in Arkansas for over a decade. Unless their county has some vastly different rules, DHS doesn’t just turn their stuff over to the cops for a concurrent investigation. Either this us incorrect information, or some sort of issue that could be considered a criminal matter has been alleged. Believe it or not, run of the mill abuse and neglect doesn’t make it to the cops. I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.
Interesting info thanks.
This is really going no where. I mean, if there was some bomb shell it would have come out already. I don’t foresee any criminal charges being forthcoming any time soon, it’s been close to a month since this story broke. My only hope is one of the daughter’s escapes and writes a tell all.
Pretty sure investigations don’t move along as the next ad break.
This is real life not reel life. No news doesn’t automatically absolve or condemn those being investigated.
Plus you know they will lie through their teeth and have already done so, which hasn’t helped them look more innocent. Even if nothing more is happening sexually-assaultwise, I’m glad they are investigating. Better that the Duggars know that people are watching, especially Josh, just in case urges hit again.
If it was nothing, the Duggars would have come out and said so. The fact that they are not even trying to explain the new investigation away speaks volumes.
More significantly, they blocked the child involved from being seen by the authorities on their doorstep. Not a good sign, although it could just be their normal paranoia about non-believers.
Good. Those people give me the heebie jeebies.
It’s be interesting if any of the kids can get out of that insanity once they’re grown and write a tell-all. Now that I’d read!
I am glad InTouch is staying on top of this. Kudos to them!
It feels like they know more than they are saying and are looking for confirmation.
Too bad this family didn’t happen before the cell phone camera. All their selfies are insufferable.
These people are so strange.
That daughter in the last pic is wearing so much more makeup than I ever did as a teenager, yet she is not allowed to wear pants. Whaaaat? Where do they come up with these asinine rules about women.
Also I’m not bashing her or her personal choices or her right to wear whatever clothes and makeup she so chooses. But the thing is, she’s NOT choosing. She’s being told. “Wear curly hair because it’s beautiful but cover up those shins! And lots of eyeliner please”.
Well, this family’s idea of taking care of the molestation problem was locking the girls bedroom door and having the girls wear clothing from head to toe, with only their hands and faces showing. Now, Jessa talks about how she thought her parents handled it correctly and thinks it is something she would do, in her household. Let’s not have the molester taken out of the house and getting treatment…let’s just make it harder for him to get to his prey. In the end, the girls had to continue to pay for Josh’s “bad judgment,” long after the actual crime. They locked the victims up instead of the criminal. It does seem odd about the hair and make-up…I guess that’s the only thing they can work with, as they can’t wear regular clothes and they have to swim in dresses, so the boys won’t get ideas.
I hope that Josh is investigated, too. He has small children, and another girl on the way.
The Duggars are being investigated by dhs but TLC still hasn’t cancelled the show?
That’s the #TouchingLittleChildren network for you.
This family has always given me a weird vibe…you couldn’t pay me enough to watch anything they are involved in.
Off topic, but why is Michelle so orange?! Is she Huckabee’s own personal Oompaloopa?
L O L!!!!!!!!!!
Also, if the old fashioned garb and mile long hair is about modesty…how come they wear self-tanner or make up at all? Shouldn’t they be really plain with caps like the Amish? Although frankly I think it’s nice the girls could have the creative outlet that is makeup and an excuse to go to a store where they might interact with normal people while purchasing said makeup. I don’t get how religions pick and choose so much.
I think it’s less about religions picking and choosing than the fact these rules were created by a man. That seems to answer most of the questions regarding odd inconsistencies like “lots of makeup, please, and a side o’ curly hair, but stay away from the men folk lessen’s ya rile ’em up.” I can picture that character drooling over his “flock” at every opportunity.
If active investigations aren’t subject to FOIA requests, is it possible that they had a plant call something in to keep a fake active investigation going on so no further documents can be released?
They are so shady, I can see them deciding that it’s better that the hint of something going on is better than the details of what has happened gets out.