Many members of the Duggar family reacted to this Joseph Duggarbeing arrested for child molestation.
Joseph, who became famous along with his family in the original series 19 Children and countingwas arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl while on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020. He was arrested by the Tonitown Police Department in Arkansas on March 18, 2026, after the Bay County Sheriff’s Department obtained an arrest warrant.
“The victim reported that Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,” the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release at the time. “As the holiday continued, he again asked her to sit next to him on the sofa and cover him with a blanket.
The statement continues, “During this time, Duggar was handling the underwear of the deceased and removed his private part, Duggar was also rubbing his hands on her thighs.
Joseph was ultimately charged with one count of lewd and lascivious behavior involving the sexual assault of a victim under the age of 12 and a second count of lewd and lascivious behavior by a person 18 or older.
Joseph appeared in court on March 20 and waived his right to a hearing and eventually agreed to be extradited to Florida to face the charges.
A few days after his arrest, news broke that Joseph was with him facing four charges endangering the welfare of a child, second degree, and four counts of false imprisonment and his wife, Kendra Duggar. Kendra was like that He was arrested on March 20, 2026and was released that day on bond.
Many members of the Duggar family have spoken out about Joseph’s arrest, including his siblings Jill and Josh. (Josh is currently in prison after being found guilty of possession of child pornography.)
Keep scrolling to see what the Duggars have to say about Joseph:
Jill Duggar
Jill Duggar released a statement on her family’s blog about Joseph Duggar’s arrest.
“We were shocked last night when we heard about the arrest of Jill’s brother (Joseph Duggar),” the post began. “We first heard about anything related to his charges yesterday through a text message from a friend of his who sent us a message about the latest media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his guilty plea to molesting a girl in 2020.”
Jill added that she and her husband Derick Dillard They are “shocked and saddened” by the allegations.
“We strongly condemn torture. We support the law and hope that justice will be served,” he continued. “Our hearts go out to the innocent child who suffered in this unspeakable crime and his family. We pray that God will give him strength, comfort and hope, and that he will be able to get all the help and support he needs and deserves in the days ahead.”
Josh Duggar
Josh Duggar has spoken out from behind bars about his brother’s arrest, saying he is “deeply saddened” by the allegations against Joseph Duggar.
“Josh understands the shame of being accused. He lives with the painful truth of how false accusations can destroy a life,” Josh’s lawyer said in a statement sent by the Daily Mail on behalf of the star. “He understands how a person’s focus for public perception can twist reality into a compelling fiction.”
The statement added that although “Josh and Joe don’t speak regularly” Josh is “hopeful and praying for his brother’s life during this difficult time.”
Amy Duggar King
Joseph Duggar’s cousin, Amy Duggar King, broke her silence when she was arrested.
“Due to the recent allegations involving my cousin, Joseph Duggar, I am sick, heartbroken and very angry,” Amy said in a statement. Us Weekly. “My first thoughts are about the victim, the child who should be protected, protected and surrounded by people he can trust.
Amy added that she was “shocked” by the allegations against Joseph but also spoke of the family’s “toxic system”.
“For years I have been talking about the importance of truth, accountability, and protecting children, even when it meant doing bad things to my family,” he continued. “Family bonds should never equal automatic trust or access, especially when it comes to children’s safety. When image is protected over truth, and silence is chosen over accountability, it creates an environment where abuse can flourish.”
Amy revealed that she has “worked hard to break the cycle” in her family and has fought for “child protection.”
“I pray for the victim and his family as they walk an incredibly difficult path,” he said. “Seeing that we still don’t know the full picture, I also pray for Joseph’s wife, Kendra, as she begins to fix this, and for the protection of their children.
Amy was later seen crying in a social media video after news broke that Kendra was also arrested that week.
Jessa Duggar
Jessa Duggar released a statement on behalf of herself and her husband, Ben Seewaldon March 20, 2026.
“We heard about this tragic news along with the rest of the world on Wednesday, and we are still in shock,” the statement read. “Our hearts ache for this innocent little girl, and we know that this is very painful to God, who tenderly cares for children and the vulnerable. We keep her in our prayers.”
Jesus later delete his upload on that day.
Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo
Jinger spoke about her brother’s arrest during the March 25 episode of her “Jinger & Jeremy” podcast.
“It’s been one of those weeks that feels like years, and I didn’t think my heart would break like it did this week,” she said. “The pain and sorrow we’ve had because of this and just thinking how it’s affected so many, yes, it’s unimaginable. It’s difficult and painful on so many levels.”
He added, “Even though we’ve been through something very similar before with one of our siblings who made unimaginable choices and decisions that have affected all of us. However, the pain and hurt caused by us … it’s hard to know what to do sometimes, moving forward.”
Jeremy intervened and added that he and his wife are “praying for the victim” who has come forward.
“Thinking about the victim who had the courage to share her story is heartbreaking,” he added. “Just the impact on that young person’s life is unimaginable. And then you see the devastating effect of that horrible crime on the whole world.”
