Josh Duggar has expressed his thoughts from prison following the arrest of his brother, Joseph Duggar, on charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
On Friday, March 20, Josh’s attorney shared with the Daily Mail that Josh, 38, was “deeply saddened” by the news of 31-year-old Joseph’s charges. He criticized the allegations as “false accusations” that stem from societal “stigma.”
The statement from Josh’s lawyer emphasized that he is familiar with how false accusations can ruin lives and how media attention can distort the truth into sensationalized stories.
Joseph faces extradition to Florida after accusations of molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020 emerged on Wednesday, March 18.
As per the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the alleged victim, now 14, was on a family trip in Panama City Beach, Florida, when Joseph allegedly asked her to sit on his lap and touched her inappropriately under a blanket. Joseph reportedly apologized at the time, and no further incidents were reported.
The allegations were later brought to the authorities’ attention when the victim’s father confronted Joseph earlier this month. Joseph is said to have admitted his actions to both the father and detectives from the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas. He has been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim under 12 and similar behavior by an adult.
Meanwhile, Josh pled not guilty to charges of receiving and possessing child pornography after his 2021 arrest. He was sentenced to 151 months in prison, which he is currently serving. All attempts to appeal his sentence have been denied.
Joseph had previously criticized Josh when Josh was accused of molesting five girls, four of whom were his sisters, during his teenage years.
“When someone you respect stands up for Christian values about fidelity, you’d never expect them to be involved in such actions,” Joseph said in a 2015 Counting On episode, reflecting on Josh’s “secret life.” “It broke my heart.”
Josh is not the only Duggar family member to respond to Joseph’s arrest. Jill Duggar spoke out in a blog post on Thursday, March 19.
“We were shocked to learn about Jill’s brother (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest,” she wrote. “We were informed about the charges through media reports and his alleged admission of molesting a young girl in 2020.”
Jill, 34, and her husband, Derick Dillard, expressed their “shock and heartbreak” over the allegations.
“We strongly condemn abuse. We uphold the rule of law and hope for justice,” the message stated. “Our hearts go out to the young victim and her family. We pray for her strength, comfort, and hope, and that she receives the support she needs in the coming days.”
They concluded with a message of support to Joseph’s wife, Kendra Duggar.
“We cannot imagine the indescribable pain they feel as they process and grieve everything,” they added.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
