Just days after TLC announced that they were pulling 19 Kids and Counting from their current lineup, several advertisers have revealed that they're following suit. USA TODAY
TLC is pulling the plug on the hit series 19 Kids and Counting, following the revelation that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's son, Josh, sexually molested five young girls, including his own sisters.
The decision to cancel the show comes nearly two months after reports surfaced that as a teenager Josh molested several young girls, and that his parents kept it a secret.
Following the networks decision to cancel the show, Jim Bob and Michelle said in a statement that they hope, "the painful situation" the family went through "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."
Here's a timeline of events from a 2006 police report obtained by InTouchthat details when Josh's parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, first became aware of the alleged sexual abuse to when the story emerged in the media. Names in the police report have been blacked out to protect alleged victims.
March 2002: The 33-page police report reveals that Jim Bob Duggar tells police his son admits he fondled the breasts and genitals of several victims while they were sleeping in the family's home, and that similar incidents happened four to five times.
May 2002: Jim Bob Duggar loses a primary bid for the Republican Senate seat to Senator Tim Hutchinson in Arkansas. Duggar ran on a platform that "rape and incest represent heinous crimes and as such should be treated as capital crimes."
July 2002: Duggar says his son Josh came to him in July and reported that he touched one of the victims while they were sleeping on the couch. Duggar says his son was punished after the incident, according to the police report.
2003: In March of 2003, nine months after the first incidents, Jim Bob Duggar and his wife Michelle Duggar are made aware of two more incidents, according to the report. In one instance, he allegedly molested a victim while she was sitting in his lap, according to the report. Around the same time, the person (name redacted) put his hand beneath a victim's dress in the family's laundry room, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar tell the police.
Jim Bob Duggar meets with the elders of his church to discuss what action they can take to prevent further abuse, according to the police report. He says the elders agree that Josh needs treatment.
Jim Bob Duggar tells police that Josh Duggar went through a Christian counseling program from March 17 to July 17, where he "did manual labor and had counseling," according to the 2006 police report. It's unclear whether the counseling program was with a certified counselor, and Jim Bob Duggar tells police he cannot recall the name of the facility, according to the report.
Shortly after Josh returns from treatment, Jim Bob Duggar, Josh Duggar and a church elder tell a police official about the incidents, according to the report. Jim Bob Duggar says Josh Duggar admitted the abuse to Joseph Truman Hutchens, a former Arkansas state trooper.
Jim Bob Duggar tells police Hutchens gave Josh a "very stern talk" about what might happen if he "continued such behavior." Jim Bob Duggar tells police that Hutchins said "there was nothing else to do," according to the report.
(The trooper, Hutchens, is currently serving 56 years in Arkansas prison on child pornography charges.)
September 2004: The Duggar family appears on a Discovery Health special called 14 Kids and Pregnant Again.
Dec. 7, 2006: The Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline receives an anonymous tip about sexual abuse occurring in the Duggar household. In the 2006 police report, Springdale Police Department reach out to the family to schedule interviews.
The family is in Chicago for a scheduled interview with Oprah Winfrey and cannot speak to police until they return on Dec. 11, according to the report.
The Oprah Winfrey Show receives an email on Dec. 7, 2006, from an unnamed female that reports abuse. Harpo Studios faxes the letter to the Department of Human Services Hot Line. Oprah cancels the appearance.
Dec. 12, 2006: Police interview Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar at the Springdale Children's Safety Center in Arkansas. Police interview several alleged victims and the person believed to be the perpetrator.
2007: While the mainstream press remains largely unaware of the sexual abuse allegations, online message boards are a flurry with allegations about Josh Duggar, as reported by Gawker.
2008: The first episode of 17 Kids and Counting premieres on TLC. (Over 15 seasons, the family grows to 19 kids.)
May 19, 2015: InTouch publishes an article detailing claims that Josh Duggar sexually abused minors when he was a teenager.
May 21, 2015: InTouch publishes a police report detailing sexual abuse in the Duggar household. The publication obtains the report through a FOIA request. Josh appears to confirm allegations in a Facebook post.
"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 Duggar, 27, writes in the Facebook statement.
Josh Duggar also resigns from the conservative Family Research Council, where he worked as a lobbyist.
May 22, 2015: Amid the scandal, TLC announces they are pulling reruns of 19 Kids and Counting.
May 22, 2015: Arkansas police destroy the 2006 police report. Springdale Police spokesman Scott Lewis tells the AP that Judge Stacey Zimmerman ordered the 2006 offense report destroyed.
May 26, 2015: Walgreens pulls ads from the Duggar's reality TV show. It's the fourth major retailer to pull advertisements from the show, joining Payless ShoeSource, General Mills and Choice Hotels. More than a dozen other advertisers have pulled ads from the show and the TLC network since news of the sexual abuse allegations surfaced.
May 27, 2015: Hutchens tells InTouch that Jim Bob Duggar hid the extent of Josh Duggar's alleged abuse. He says he would have reported the incident if he had been aware that there was more than one incident of abuse.
May 28, 2015: Hulu appears to pull several episodes of 19 Kids and Counting from its site, though the company has not confirmed whether it will pull the series. When users click on the first 12 episodes of the series, a "404 error page" comes up.
June 3, 2015: Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar appear on television for the first time since news of the sexual abuse scandal broke. The Duggar's acknowledge that four of the victims were their daughters, including younger sisters Jill and Jessa, who also spoke to Fox News reporter, Megyn Kelly.
The Duggars believe the bigger story is how Josh's police records were released (under a Freedom of Information Act), and they threatened to sue, to "protect juvenile records because mistakes juveniles make when they're young should be sealed," Jim Bob says.
The couple say they believe they can save their TV show, 19 Kids and Counting.
July 16, 2015: TLC permanently cancels 19 Kids and Counting. "After thoughtful consideration, TLC and the Duggar family have decided to not move forward with 19 Kids and Counting," a statement on the network's website says.
"The recent attention around the Duggars has sparked a critical and important conversation about child protection," the statement says. The network said it plans on releasing a one-hour documentary, that will include some of the Duggars, and other families that have been affected by abuse.
August 20, 2015: Josh Duggar admits to being "unfaithful to his wife" Anna after aGawker report came out claiming he was a member of the Ashley Madison website, which promotes adultery. "I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the Internet and this has became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife," said a statement from Josh Duggar via duggarfamily.com.
Contributing: Jayme Deerwester, Maria Puente, Doug Stanglin, and Teresa C. Younger
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