Deadliest Catch’s Josh Harris fired after 1998 sexual assault sentencing
Deadliest Catch star Josh Harris has reportedly been fired by Discovery after he was sentenced for sexual assault involving a four-year-old girl in 1998. His profile and bio on the network’s website have also been removed.
Fisherman Josh Harris has been appearing on the series for years, while the sentencing goes back over two decades. Reports have resurfaced pointing to Harris’ 1999 arrest, after the assault involving a young girl the year prior.
Following the recent attention on the sentencing, Discovery has officially cut ties with Harris, whose father Phil Harris was the O.G. captain on Deadliest Catch ahead of his death in 2010. We looked at the details of the case.
WARNING: Content of a disturbing sexual nature ahead
Josh fired from Deadliest Catch
Harris has been fired by Discovery and will no longer appear on any upcoming Deadliest Catch episodes. It comes after years of appearing on the show alongside his fellow fishermen and family, including brother Jake Harris and father Phil.
As per Radar, the network has released a statement regarding the allegations and said: “We’ve been made aware of this issue. Josh will not appear in future episodes of this series.”
Reality Titbit has contacted Discovery and Josh Harris for comment.
He was sentenced for sexual assault
Harris was accused of a sexual assault that happened in July 1998, when he would have been around 15 or 16. Due to DNA processing delays, he was not formally arrested by the police until 1999.
The report said the child was the daughter of a neighbor and deckhand. His semen was found at the scene of the crime. “SSG detectives went to the victim’s residence and collected some further evidence,” the arrest record stated.
He reportedly pleaded to lesser charges — Assault 4 and immoral communication with a minor — and served nine months. As part of his sentencing, Harris reportedly took part in a psychosexual exam.
Josh’s appearance on Discovery
Sea captain Harris, 39, is the co-captain of Cornelia Marie. The former Discovery star follows in the footsteps of his father, Phil Harris, who died in 2010 after suffering a stroke while on the job.
During the eighth season of the series, Harris was part of the crew of Time Bandit. He worked on the boat until 2013 when he received his captain’s license, having made his first appearance on Deadliest Catch in 2007.
Since then, he has appeared in American Chopper: Deadliest Catch Bike and After The Catch, and Deadliest Catch: Bloodline. Josh is also an author who co-wrote Captain Phil Harris: The Legendary Crab Fisherman, Our Hero, Our Dad.
If you have been affected by this story, you can contact the Rape Crisis team. Call 0808 802 9999 for confidential emotional support, open 12pm-2.30pm, 7pm-9.30pm every day of the year. You can also contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111
You can also contact the RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, National Sexual Hotline. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1 (800) 656-4673. You can also contact the Department of Defense Safe Helpline for Sexual Assault on 1 (877) 955-5247.
