2 months ago
Jana Duggar is “heartbroken” astatine nan apprehension of her brother, Joseph Duggar, connected child molestation charges.
“We are profoundly saddened and heartbroken by nan business involving my brother, Joseph,” nan “19 Kids and Counting” characteristic wrote via Facebook connected Thursday.
“This news came arsenic a daze to us, arsenic we had nary anterior knowledge earlier it became public,” Jana continued.
“Our hearts are pinch nan kid who has been harmed–this is simply a grievous and unacceptable wrong. She concluded, “We continued to believe for nan unfortunate and for justness to beryllium carried out.”
A rep for nan Duggars did not instantly return Page Six’s petition for comment.
The erstwhile TLC star, 36 — who shares 1 kid pinch Stephen Wissmann, whom she joined successful 2024 — is nan older sister of Joseph, 31.
Joseph was arrested successful Arkansas connected March 18 for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old woman during a 2020 family getaway to Panama City Beach, Florida.
The victim, who is now 14 years old, told constabulary that Joseph molested her during nan vacation, per an affidavit obtained by Page Six.
He was subsequently extradited to Florida, wherever he entered a plea of not guilty and was released connected $600,000 bond. Meanwhile, he’s ordered to refrain from unsupervised interaction pinch minors.
Along pinch woman Kendra, he was past charged successful Arkansas pinch 4 second-degree counts of endangering nan use of a minor, and 4 second-degree counts of mendacious imprisonment connected March 20.
Kendra turned herself successful and was later bonded out, and nan mates is group to return to tribunal successful their location authorities this month.
Jana is conscionable nan latest successful a drawstring of family members to measurement successful connected Joseph’s arrest. His aunt Deanna Duggar begged Kendra to divorcement him, adding that she “needs a caller life.”
Family patriarch Jim Bob and matriarch Michelle also confessed to being “heartbroken” complete nan arrest.
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“Right now, they are focused connected loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” nan connection publication successful part, noting that they “appreciate nan benignant words and prayers offered by truthful many.”
Joy-Anna Duggar called nan business “deeply disturbing” successful her ain statement, and Jason Duggar and his wife, Maddie Grace Duggar, wrote successful a connection that they are “disgusted to perceive nan news” while condemning nan “vile” alleged behaviors.
Cousin Amy Duggar declared she was “sickened, heartbroken and profoundly angry,” successful a statement obtained by People, and Joseph’s sister Jinger Duggar Vuolo and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, said it was “devastating news to hear” during an section of their eponymous podcast.
Brother Josh Duggar — who was sentenced to 12 years successful situation for possessing and receiving kid intersexual maltreatment material successful 2021 — slammed nan accusations arsenic “false” done his lawyer, from jail.
“He understands really nan targeting of a personification for publicity tin twist nan truth into sensationalized fiction,” his lawyer told nan Daily Mail past week.
Jana herself faced problem pinch nan rule backmost successful December 2021, erstwhile she was charged pinch endangering nan use of a child.
“I was babysitting a fewer months agone erstwhile 1 of nan children wandered extracurricular alone. A passerby who saw nan kid called nan police. This resulted successful a written citation, arsenic good arsenic a follow-up pinch kid use who concluded that it was an mishap and nan kid was unharmed,” she explained via societal media astatine nan time.
“They recognized it was a lawsuit of a kid slipping retired of nan location erstwhile you move your backmost for a moment,” she continued. “It each happened truthful quickly and was scary. I americium grateful for rule enforcement and those who protect and service our community.”
The erstwhile TLC prima initially pleaded not blameworthy to nan charge, according to documents obtained by Page Six astatine nan time. But successful January 2022 she avoided proceedings by pleading blameworthy to a lesser complaint and paying an $880 fine.
