Jason Duggar condemned his brother Joseph in brutal terms just days after he was arrested for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old girl.
In a joint statement posted Thursday with his wife, Maddie Grace Duggar, Jason lambasted his brother Joseph as ‘vile’ and called his alleged actions ‘evil.’
The couple spoke out about the accusations against Joseph on the same day that an affidavit surfaced in which Joseph Duggar’s accuser detailed the ‘several incidents of sexual abuse’ she allegedly experienced.
In their statement, Jason, 25, and Maddie, 22, wrote that they had ‘spent the week completely shocked, confused, and grieved to list a few emotions.’
‘We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, however, this isn’t about how it’s impacted our lives,’ they continued.
‘Our hearts are burdened because a child’s life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable. This is something unthinkable,’ the Duggars wrote.
Jason Duggar, 25, and his wife Maddie, 22, called his brother Joseph ‘vile’ and described his alleged actions as ‘evil’ a week after he was accused of molesting a nine-year-old girl
In their statement, Jason, 25, and Maddie, 22, wrote that they had ‘spent the week completely shocked, confused, and grieved to list a few emotions. We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, however, this isn’t about how it’s impacted our lives’; Joseph Duggar is pictured in his March 18 mugshot
Jason and Maddie said they were ‘angered by what has happened,’ adding that they ‘pray God’s righteous hand and the court system will serve justice in the situation as described.’
‘Maddie and I have always had a special place in our hearts for the vulnerable around us, and we will continue to do so,’ Jason continued. ‘To fathom that someone would abuse their authority to harass the innocent is vile.
They concluded the statement by asking their followers to ‘pray for the victim who has been brave enough to share what has happened. We also ask that you pray for his family at this time, as his children must face the reality of losing a father that should have been a spiritual leader in their lives.’
‘We stand with innocent children. Always,’ the couple wrote, emphasizing the last word.
Joseph, 31, was arrested last Wednesday in Tontitown, Arkansas, in connection with allegations that he touched a nine-year-old girl on her genitals and underwear in Florida.
His wife Kendra, 27, was taken into custody on Friday in Tontitown and charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, as well as four charges of second-degree false imprisonment. Joseph is now also facing the same charges.
Kendra was released on bond about an hour and a half after her booking, while Joseph has signed an extradition waiver to face charges in Florida, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Earlier on Thursday, it emerged that the father of four’s accuser, who is now 14, alleged that she suffered ‘several incidents of sexual abuse’ on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, when she was just nine years old, according to an affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail.
‘Our hearts are burdened because a child’s life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable. This is something unthinkable,’ Jason and Maddie wrote
They prayed that ‘God’s righteous hand and the court system will serve justice in the situation. . . ‘ and said they ‘always had a special place in our hearts for the vulnerable around us’
At the time of the Florida vacation described in the document, Joseph and Kendra had two children and she was pregnant with their third.
Joseph’s accuser told a detective that during the Florida vacation, she ‘would sit on the defendant’s lap’ and he would ‘cradle [her] with his arms,’ the affidavit states.
As the holiday progressed, Joseph’s behavior is said to have evolved, according to the underage girl’s account of events as relayed in the legal document.
Joseph is claimed to have requested that she ‘sit on the couch beside [him],’ whereupon he supposedly ‘covered the parties with a blanket,’ per the affidavit.
The document adds: ‘Once the parties were covered, the defendant would pull the victim’s dress up and touch the victim’s thighs.’
The accuser also asserted that ‘during these incidents [Joseph’s] hand grazed [her] vagina’ and his ‘hand was outside of her underwear’ – an occurrence she said took place ‘several times,’ leaving her ‘confused’ and ‘uncomfortable.’
Joseph’s accuser also said he ‘eventually approached the victim and apologized for his actions’ and then ‘the incidents stopped occurring,’ the affidavit claims.
After the underage girl gave her forensic interview to the Arkansas detective, Deputy Sheriff Darrell Norris in Florida – the officer who wrote the affidavit – ‘requested the detective and victim’s father call Joseph’ in order to obtain a confession from him.
Joseph’s accuser detailed shocking claims against him in an interview with a detective, according to a newly surfaced arrest warrant affidavit obtained Thursday by the Daily Mail; Joseph is pictured with his wife Kendra
The affidavit claims that during the call, Joseph ‘admitted his actions, stating he touched the victim over her clothing’ and ‘admitted his intentions were not pure.’
According to the authorities, a judge signed off on an affidavit that included the contents of that phone conversation, whereupon an arrest warrant was issued to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office then apparently sent the warrant to the police in Arkansas, leading to Joseph’s arrest in Tontitown.
He was taken into custody last week in connection with lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a statement from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Lynn Haven, Florida announced.
An investigator with the Tontitown Police Department in Tontitown, Arkansas reached out to the BCSO ‘regarding a report of past sexual abuse.’
An alleged victim, identified as a 14-year-old girl, told law enforcement about a series of inappropriate incidents Duggar was involved in around five years back, police said.
Authorities said then that the alleged incidents occurred in 2020, when the alleged victim was nine years old and on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The 19 Kids And Counting star is now facing additional charges including four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment, the Tontitown Police Department told TMZ.
A warrant for Kendra’s arrest was issued on Friday but when law enforcement initially went to the Duggar family residence in Washington County, she was not there
The 19 Kids And County star is now facing additional charges including four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment, the Tontitown Police Department told TMZ; Duggar seen above top far right
Duggar and Kendra’s new charges in Arkansas are reportedly not related to his case in the state of Florida.
He is being held in Arkansas as he awaits extradition back to Florida.
Family members have since broken silence on his arrest, such as brother Josh – who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography.
His attorney told the Daily Mail: ‘Josh understands the stigma of being accused.
‘He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life. He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.’
The attorney said that the brothers ‘are not in frequent communication’ but Josh ‘hopes and prays for his brother’s well-being in this difficult time.’
His sister Jill has also spoken out by uploading a post to her family blog which she shares with husband Derick Dillard.
‘We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother’s [Joseph Duggar’s] arrest,’ the message read.
‘We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. We are shocked and heartbroken.’
They added, ‘We strongly condemn abuse. We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family.
Family members have since broken silence on his arrest , such as brother Josh – who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography; Josh’s 2021 mugshot seen above
Jill and Derick also sent love to Kendra and her four children in the post shared on Thursday, just one day before her arrest
‘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.’
Jill and Derick also sent love to Kendra and her four children while praying ‘that they feel loved and supported during this time as we cannot imagine the indescribable pain they feel as they process and grieve everything.’
The post was uploaded on Thursday, just one day before Kendra’s arrest for allegedly endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment.
Duggar’s mugshot was released on Wednesday evening by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The former reality star sported a thick beard, and he gazed forward with a stony expression, which notably contrasted the grinning 2021 mugshot of his brother Josh, which had also been snapped in Washington County.
The alleged victim told investigators that the family had been staying at a home located on Danny Drive at the time of the illegal incidents.
Joseph Duggar ‘repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,’ BCSO officials said, adding that his behavior appeared to escalate as the vacation continued.
In another incident, Joseph ‘asked [the victim] to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,’ ‘rubbing’ his hands on her thighs.
Joseph Duggar ‘repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,’ BCSO officials said, adding that his behavior appeared to escalate as the vacation continued
‘During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals.’
Duggar subsequently told the alleged victim he was sorry, and the incidents ceased, according to officials with the BCSO.
The father of the alleged victim confronted Joseph Duggar about what happened on Tuesday, at which time he admitted to his actions to the father and a detective in Tontitown, the BCSO said.
Joseph Duggar was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with Lewd and Lascivious Behavior – Molestation of a Victim Less Than 12-years-old; and Lewd and Lascivious Behavior Conducted By A Person 18 Years or Older.
Duggar’s confession to the girl’s father and a detective was included in an affidavit filed by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, which was obtained by People.
BCSO Criminal Investigator Chase Norris had then ‘requested the detective and victim’s father call the defendant.’
During the phone call, Duggar ‘admitted his actions’ and confessed that he ‘touched the victim over her clothing,’ per the affidavit.
At the time, the TV personality had ‘admitted his intentions were not pure.’
His cousin Amy Duggar also recently broke her silence to share she was ‘utterly shocked’ but ‘not surprised’ over his arrest.
She said in a statement to People on Friday: ‘In light of the recent allegations involving my cousin, Joseph Duggar, I am sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry.’
Amy added, ‘My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust.
‘The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated. That bravery deserves to be honored above all else.’
She said in a statement to People on Friday: ‘In light of the recent allegations involving my cousin, Joseph Duggar, I am sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry’
And while she was ‘utterly shocked’ over the allegations, Amy expressed that she is ‘not surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.’
Amy told the outlet that she has ‘worked hard to break cycles in both my extended family and my immediate family.’
She sent prayers to the alleged victim while adding, ‘Recognizing that we do not yet know the full picture, I am also praying for Joseph’s wife, Kendra, as she begins to process this, and for the protection of their children.
‘I’m praying for eyes to be opened and above all, I pray that justice will be served to the fullest.’
For those who have been impacted by sexual abuse, text ‘STRENGTH’ to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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