Josh Duggar Said Family Was ‘Waiting to Ambush’ Him After Child Sex Abuse Conviction, Should ‘Shut Up’ in Text to Mom Michelle (Exclusive)

Josh Duggar spoke about his frustration with family members in an angry text message to his mother Michelle a month after being convicted of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

“[F]amily members continuing to judge and condemn, saying hurtful things is so hard to deal with,” Josh wrote to his mother in a lengthy text, a copy of which was obtained by PEOPLE.

Josh went on to say that he received “more compassion and love from strangers” than he did from members of his own family and “close ‘friends'” following his 2021 conviction.

He then launched into an attack on those family members, saying he was “still in shock and awe of how hurtful and judgmental people can be,” saying that some were exhibiting “less character” than even “non-believers,” whom he would expect to be “prideful and hateful.”

There was also an alleged lack of “decency and respect” for the “seven little kids and wife crying themselves to sleep every night without daddy,” said Josh.

Making things worse, claimed Josh, was that these same people were willing “to get on an airplane or drive [a] truck and trailer to help perfect strangers,” no matter the cost and “risking their lives” at times, but did not extend any compassion to him or his family.

“[E]ven just to be quiet and shut up and not say anything, but no, its [sic] like they enjoy it and they have been waiting to ambush me ,” Josh wrote.

He continued on, writing that some of these same people “are glad to gloss over their own personal ‘indiscretions'” and speak about “redemption, love, grace, mercy, wisdom” without exhibiting any of those virtues in their dealings with him or his wife Anna and seven children.

Were the tables turned, said Josh, he would show love and support to these same people who were shunning him as he awaited his transfer to federal prison.

In the same letter, Josh also continued to maintain his innocence even after his conviction six weeks prior, telling his mother that he was “struggling with raw pain and hurts [sic] not only from family members but also “the guy who did the crime that put me in here,” whom Josh also claimed was “top of my list trying to forgive.”

Michelle responded to the text a few hours later, writing: “I’m so sorry for all that you, your precious bride, and sweet children are going through. Josh.????”

Josh did not text his mother for nearly a month after that exchange, and in their next exchange spoke of a woman whom Josh appeared to have introduced his mother to after suggesting the woman attend their church.

After Michelle said it was a “joy” to meet the woman, Josh responded in a text that read in part: “[H]er husband is going to be in prison for quite a while, praying for them!”

Josh is still maintaining his own innocence, and is currently in the middle of his fourth and — barring the discovery of some new evidence — final attempt to appeal his conviction.

At the same time, he recently had two months added to his federal prison sentence, and is now scheduled to be released from FCI Seagoville in Texas on Feb. 2, 2033.

That marked the third time Josh’s prison sentence had been extended from his initial release date of August 2032.