I wouldn’t be surprised if his guilty plea or verdict is followed-up with “I can minister to the
real criminals while I’m wrongfully imprisoned.”
Josh’s problem is that CSAM is very bad. I think some were willing to give the molestation a “pass” (not the right word) because he was young and raised in an insular environment and some victims stated they forgave him. And Ashley Madison got a similar “pass” because adultery isn’t uncommon, the Philadelphia plaintiff basically went away*, Josh apologized, and he lost his lobbyist job. But CSAM is where a lot of people draw the line. Heck, occasionally there’s a laptop thief who turns himself in because he found CSAM on it.
So that leaves him with a few options IMO: (1) he’ll be found guilty and will assemble a small cadre of vocal sympathizers railing against some conspiracy, (2) he will plead guilty to protect his family and proclaim innocence and develop a prison ministry, (3) will admit to it for some higher purpose, like research in preparation for starting an anti-trafficking charity** or (4) will admit to it but not without a lot of blaming, deflecting, quasi-scientific addiction studies, and “devil made me do it.”
I’ve left out the possibility that he will be found not guilty. As to #1, I don’t think he’s ambitious enough to run a “conspiracy” campaign. Right now, I think he’ll plead guilty but proclaim innocence.
*I’m not minimizing her allegations and I do believe the substance of her allegations.
** Hat’s off to these nuns fighting for kids:
A hidden army of ‘very brave’ nuns fight child trafficking