Toby Willis, patriarch of TLC's 'The Willis Family,' arraigned on four counts of child rape
Toby Willis, the patriarch of the Willis family, was arraigned on four counts of child rape in Tennessee on Monday, according to local outlet The Tennessean.
The 46-year-old, who starred in the hit TLC reality show, "The Willis Family," pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been in county jail since last September after fleeing his home to avoid the police. Willis was arrested under suspicion that he raped an underaged girl about 12 years ago.
"They are truly hurting, and trying to figure out how to carry on with their lives," a sourced said of the family back in September.
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His attorney, Michael Shipman, requested during a November hearing that Willis undergo psychological testing because he "had come to question [his client's] competence." His official plea date is is July 11 and the trial is expected to start July 18.
His family, including his wife Brenda, 49, and their 12 children, is most-known for their country-folk band based out of Asheville.
They first competed in season nine of "America's Got Talent" before getting their own TLC reality show. The clan garnered many comparisons to another TLC family, the Duggars. Coincidentally, the Willis kids, eight girls and four boys, also have names that start with the letter "J."
The show aired for two seasons before concluding in April 2016. The network announced its cancellation before Willis was arrested, but has denied that his scandal was the reason.
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