Jessa Duggar has broken her silence about the arrest of her younger brother Joseph Duggar.
“We learned of this saddening news along with the rest of the world on Wednesday, and we are in complete shock,” Jessa, 33, wrote in a now-deleted statement on behalf of herself and husband Ben Seewald via Instagram Stories on Friday, March 20.
“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,” Jessa wrote in the post, which was viewed by Us Weekly.
Joseph, 31, was arrested on Wednesday, March 18, amid accusations that he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl six years ago during a family vacation.
He was charged with molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, according to a press release from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Joseph, who is the seventh child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, has since waived his right to an extradition hearing in Arkansas and will soon be transferred to Florida to face charges.
The girl, now 14, alleged that Joseph “asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,” according to the BCSO press release, and “manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals.”
According to the girl, Joseph “eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”
Investigators found out the girl’s father confronted Joseph about the incidents on Tuesday, March 17, at which point Joseph admitted his actions to the victim’s father and to Tontitown detectives.
Joseph is a father of four and currently married to wife Kendra Caldwell. The couple tied the knot in 2017 and share sons Garrett and Justus as well as daughters Addison and Brooklyn.
Jessa concluded her now-deleted post, “As a family, we are pulling together to support Kendra and her kids during this difficult time.” (Kendra, 27, did not appear during Joseph’s court hearing on Friday.)
Jill Duggar was the first of the Duggar kids to speak out, revealing that she and her family were “shocked and heartbroken” to learn about the accusations through media reports.
“We strongly condemn abuse. We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved,” the statement on her family blog read. “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.”
