A federal judge said Jim Bob Duggar was 'not credible' and won't testify in Josh Duggar's child pornography trial

• A federal judge on Wednesday said Jim Bob Duggar's testimony two days earlier was "not credible."
• Jim Bob Duggar testified in a pre-trial hearing for his son, Josh Duggar, who is charged with two counts of child pornography.

A federal judge in Arkansas said Jim Bob Duggar was "not credible" during parts of his testimony on Monday about the years-old child molestation allegations against his son, Josh Duggar.

Jim Bob Duggar testified during a pre-trial evidentiary hearing for Josh Duggar, who is charged with two counts of child pornography and has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors had called Jim Bob Duggar to the stand as part of their efforts to prove to the judge that Josh Duggar's past conduct towards children was relevant to the trial and should be included.

Josh Duggar was accused of molesting five children, four of whom were his sisters, in 2002 and 2003, but was not criminally charged. Arkansas police conducted an investigation into the allegations in 2006, and Josh Duggar publicly apologized and said he received counseling.

On Monday, prosecutors questioned both Jim Bob Duggar and a Duggar family friend named Bobye Holt about those child molestation allegations. Holt testified that Josh Duggar had confessed on multiple occasions to touching young girls both over and under their clothing, and Jim Bob Duggar "agreed that [Josh Duggar] inappropriately touched at least four children, but he was hazy on the details," Brooks wrote in his Wednesday ruling.

"He recalled that [Josh Duggar] inappropriately touched the children on their breasts while they were sleeping on more than one occasion, but beyond that, his memory failed him," Brooks added. "In other words, he admitted the touching was 'inappropriate,' but he was unwilling to provide further details, pleading a lack of memory."

Brooks was skeptical of Jim Bob Duggar's apparent forgetfulness, but said his testimony wasn't necessary and that Holt's testimony would suffice.

"The Court found Mr. Duggar's selective lapse in memory to be not credible; he was obviously reluctant to testify against his son," Brooks wrote.

Local media outlets in Arkansas also reported Tuesday that Jim Bob Duggar's name was not included in Brooks' list of witnesses who could potentially be called to testify during the trial. Insider has reached out to Jim Bob Duggar's representatives for comment.

Jury selection for Josh Duggar's trial occurred on Tuesday, and prosecutors and defense attorneys were set to deliver opening statements on Wednesday. District Judge Timothy Brooks issued a ruling that morning agreeing with prosecutors and ruling that they could show the jury evidence that Josh Duggar previously committed acts of child molestation.

Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle Duggar, have previously spoken publicly about the alleged child molestations, telling Fox News in a 2015 interview that their son had inappropriately touched his sisters. Josh Duggar himself issued a public apology at the time for having "acted inexcusably," and two of his sisters spoke out about the alleged incidents, saying they forgave their brother.