In that state, sexual abuse is explicitly defined as any forcible sexual act done to a person under the age of 18, regardless of the age of the perpetrator. Therefore, when the alleged abuse was discovered by Jim Bob Duggar, church elders, the police, and the state's protective services, one might have expected several actions to occur. Yet, there were striking failures throughout the case.
According to Jim Bob Duggar's account, made to police, he learned of the alleged abuse in 2002. He did not report it to police or anyone else. When new allegations surfaced in 2003, he told church elders ("mandated reporters" in Arkansas), who also did not report the abuse. The family and the church decided to send the perpetrator to what they called a Christian work camp for a few months as his punishment and repentance, and he reportedly apologized to his victims.
After the perpetrator of the sexual abuse returned home, Jim Bob told police he spoke with a state trooper about the issue. The trooper purportedly gave the perpetrator a stern talking to, In Touch magazine reported.
Before the family was scheduled to appear on her show in 2006, Oprah Winfrey was tipped off to the alleged abuse -- more than three years after the first time Jim Bob Duggar told police he'd learned of it. She did report the allegations. A police investigation followed.
Here is where the system really begins to fall apart. Police apparently "investigated" the allegations but never spoke with the alleged perpetrator. That's correct. The subject of the investigation was never investigated. Realizing that the three-year statute of limitations had expired, the police then referred the case to the state's Department of Human Services for further investigation, In Touch reported.
