Josh Duggar has been transferred to the same Fort Worth, Texas prison where Tiger King's Joe Exotic is being held. Duggar, 38, was moved from the FCI Seagoville facility to Fort Worth FMC, according to records reviewed by the Daily Mail. The two facilities are approximately 47 miles apart.
Details of the Transfer
Fort Worth FMC is an administrative security federal medical center with a detention center, housing 1,573 inmates. It specializes in treating prisoners for physical and mental health needs. Joe Exotic, 63, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently being treated for prostate cancer at the facility while serving a 21-year sentence for a 2019 murder-for-hire conviction.
Duggar is serving a prison sentence of about 12 and a half years for his 2021 conviction on charges of receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The reason for his transfer was not immediately clear, and it does not necessarily indicate that he has health issues requiring attention.
Attorney Beau Brindley, who represents the reality star, told the Daily Mail that his office is investigating to verify Josh's well-being amid the transfer. He added that the Bureau of Prisons does not provide advance notice of prisoner transfers for security reasons.
Background on the Inmates
Joe Exotic rose to notoriety through the Netflix true crime series Tiger King, which became a national sensation upon its release in March 2020. Two months earlier, he was sentenced in Oklahoma to 22 years in custody for a 2017 murder-for-hire plot against business rival Carole Baskin. He was also convicted on numerous wildlife law violations, including the deaths of five tigers and infractions of the Endangered Species Act.
Federal authorities stated that Duggar, father of seven children with wife Anna, had amassed images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including images of prepubescent children and depictions of sadistic abuse.
Legal Setbacks for Duggar
Duggar's transfer came as he faced another legal setback. A judge denied a motion he filed to vacate his 2021 conviction, arguing that his rights had been violated after he missed a June 24, 2025 deadline on a motion. Duggar claimed the missed deadline should be overlooked due to a prison mailbox rule, which validates items deposited in the institution's internal mailing system on or before the last day for filing.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks declined the request, stating that it lacked credibility. The judge remarked, the Court can grant Mr. Duggar one coincidence. Perhaps even two or three odd happenstances. But Mr. Duggar is asking the Court to believe something akin to a magic bullet theory, a sequential chain of events that defies common sense. He added that the chain of events, where Murphy's law was lurking at every turn, is simply not credible.
History of the Duggar Family
The Duggar family reality show, which began airing in 2008 as 17 Kids and Counting, centered on Michelle and Jim Bob, a devout Arkansas couple who named all their children with the first letter J. News about Duggar's past molestation of five young girls in the early 2000s, including four of his female siblings and a babysitter, led to the swift cancellation of the family's TLC series in 2015.
Jim Bob and Michelle posted a statement on Facebook at the time, explaining how they dealt with the initial incident. They wrote, 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. They continued, We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles every day.
Recent Legal Issues for Joseph Duggar
The latest events surrounding Josh Duggar come on the heels of major legal issues for his younger brother Joseph, 31, who is out on $600,000 bond as he faces child molestation charges. The incident occurred in 2020 in Panama City Beach, Florida, during a vacation, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office. Officials said that during the vacation, Joseph asked the victim to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, he manipulated the victim's underwear and grazed her genitals. He also continued to rub his hands on her thighs. The victim stated that Joseph eventually apologized and the incidents stopped after the apology.
For those who have been impacted by sexual abuse, text STRENGTH to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
