Jessa Duggar has addressed the arrest of her younger brother Joseph Duggar.
In a now-deleted Instagram Stories statement shared on Friday, March 20, Jessa, 33, expressed shock over the situation, stating, “We learned of this saddening news along with the rest of the world on Wednesday, and we are in complete shock,” on behalf of herself and her husband Ben Seewald.
She continued, “Our hearts are grieving for this innocent young girl, and we know this is deeply grievous to God, who cares tenderly for children and the vulnerable. We are keeping her in our prayers,” as noted by Us Weekly.
Joseph, 31, was taken into custody on Wednesday, March 18, facing allegations of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl six years ago during a family trip.
According to a press release from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, Joseph was charged with molestation of a victim under 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior by an adult.
Joseph, the seventh child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, waived his right to an extradition hearing in Arkansas and is set to be transferred to Florida for the proceedings.
The victim, now 14, claimed that Joseph “asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,” as outlined in the BCSO press release, and “manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals.”
Joseph Duggar Tontitown Police Department
The girl reported that Joseph “eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”
Investigators discovered that the girl’s father confronted Joseph on Tuesday, March 17, during which Joseph confessed to both the victim’s father and Tontitown detectives.
Joseph is married to Kendra Caldwell and they have four children: sons Garrett and Justus, and daughters Addison and Brooklyn, having married in 2017.
Joseph Duggar, along with his wife Kendra, was last seen in a family holiday video that surfaced weeks before his arrest on allegations of child molestation. The footage from the Duggar family’s annual Christmas costume party appeared in Jessa Duggar’s “Holiday Festivities” vlog, posted on February 9.
In her now-deleted post, Jessa concluded, “As a family, we are pulling together to support Kendra and her kids during this difficult time.” It was noted that Kendra, 27, did not attend Joseph’s court hearing on Friday.
Jill Duggar was the first Duggar sibling to publicly respond, expressing that her family was “shocked and heartbroken” by the allegations reported in the media.
On her family blog, she stated, “We strongly condemn abuse. We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. We pray God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead.”
