Amy Duggar King Doesn’t Think Josh Duggar ‘Can Change’ (Exclusive)

Josh Duggar has more than enough time to reflect on his past misconduct amid his time in prison. Despite that, his cousin Amy (Duggar) King believes he’s incapable of changing his past ways.

The eldest Duggar sibling, 36, is currently serving a nearly 13-year sentence at FCI Seagoville Federal Prison in Texas until October 2032. He was previously convicted on December 9, 2021, and sentenced on May 25, 2022, for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse materials.

Before that scandal emerged after his arrest on April 29, 2021, the disgraced reality star came under fire for molesting multiple young girls, including sisters Jill (Duggar) Dillard and Jessa (Duggar) Seewald, as a teenager.

“I don’t believe that someone with that kind of disorder can change. I really truly don’t think that is something that can be medically fixed,” Amy, 37, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I think it is a generational thing.”

Although she admittedly doesn’t “really know” what she hopes Josh gets out of his time behind bars, Amy says: “I want him to stay as long as he can because he can’t hurt children. He can’t view that disgustingness and his kids hopefully are safe as well.”

“I have not spoken to him, and I will not. I will not,” she shares. “When you just cross those evil lines like that, there is no coming back. I just think there’s no coming back.”

Josh Duggar is pictured.
D Dipasupil/Getty

Amy — as well as her cousins Jill and Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo — have been very outspoken in addressing the controversies surrounding their family. Last year, in particular, both Amy and Jill appeared in Prime Video’s Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets docuseries, which explored the family’s many scandals and ties to the ultra-conservative Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP).

“I believe it helped a lot of people. I really, really do,” she says of the four-part program. “I have had [an] enormous amount of positive feedback from it, and just people coming out of the woodwork, just being like, ‘Amy, you’re so brave. Thank you for just even being on the documentary.'”

“I never really considered myself brave, but just to hear that from so many people, I’m like, ‘Well, wow, I am so glad that I helped someone,'” she continues. “That’s all that matters to me is that it helped someone to see the truth and that’s what matters.”

Amy Duggar King is pictured.
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty

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Amy is interested in getting involved in more advocacy work “even just locally.”

For now, she has found “therapeutically writing” about her experiences to be “a good release.” She also declares that her main focus going forward is “to protect my peace and my family and my little boy.”

“That’s what matters to me,” she adds. “That’s what I’m going to put as a priority.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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