Duggar family member at center of extortion plot

Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar. (Chris Keane - Reuters) An Iowa woman has been charged in connection with an alleged plot to extort Discovery Communications over photos of a Duggar family member, the Associated Press reports.

Teresa Hunt reportedly sent a letter to Discovery Communications, the company behind the TLC show “19 Kids and Counting,” saying she had compromising photos of a cast member with a 56-year-old musician, according to court documents obtained by the AP. When contacted by an FBI agent posing as a Discovery employee, Hunt allegedly demanded $10,000 or the show’s cancelation to keep them private.

The Duggar family member — of which there are many — in question appears to be Amy Duggar, a cousin of the Christian clan who has made several appearances on the wholesome reality show.

Amy Duggar told Radar Online that the man in question “is a longtime family friend who has always been supportive of my music career.” She also tweeted, “Thank you for all the support I am receiving lately regarding the ‘scandal’. God Bless you all!! #justicewillbeserved #extortionisacrime.”

Radar claims to have been offered the photos — which they describe as “merely harmless snaps rather than incriminating” — by Hunt for purchase, but declined.

Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle, who suffered a miscarriage in December, have not commented on the suit. The couple have been campaigning for Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum.