2 months ago
Joseph Duggar reportedly acted retired of characteristic pinch his family earlier he was arrested connected child molestation charges.
“Joe and [his wife] Kendra person seemed disconnected and distant from nan full family successful caller weeks,” a Duggar family insider told the Sun connected Friday.
“Everyone is successful disbelief,” nan insider added. “It’s a very delicate taxable pinch what happened pinch Josh a fewer years agone and they cannot ideate reliving that again – it was very difficult for nan family.”
Joseph, 31, was taken into custody connected Wednesday and charged pinch lewd and lascivious behaviour involving a unfortunate younger than nan property of 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior toward a unfortunate aged 18 aliases older.
The erstwhile “Counting On” prima is presently being held at Washington County Jail successful Fayetteville, Ark. and is being extradited to Bay County, Fla.
His relative Josh, 38, was also accused of molesting minors, including his sisters, Jill and Jessa Duggar, successful nan early 2000s, successful incidents that came to ray successful 2015.
In December 2021, Josh was convicted connected charges of receiving and possessing kid intersexual maltreatment material. He was sentenced to much than 12 years in national prison.
According to nan Sun, nan different Duggar siblings, including Jinger and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, are focused connected keeping their children safe pursuing Joseph’s arrest.
“They were very adjacent pinch Joe and Kendra but they haven’t talked to them arsenic overmuch during nan past year, only astatine family gatherings,” nan insider shared astir nan Vuolos.
The root besides said that Jinger, Jeremy and Jessa “only recovered retired astir this on pinch everyone other erstwhile nan news came out.”
Jill, 34, was nan first Duggar sibling to speak retired astir Joseph’s arrest, penning successful a associated blog post with her husband, Derick Dillard, connected Thursday that she was “shocked” by nan news.
“We first learned of thing related to his charges yesterday via a matter from a friend who messaged america astir nan caller media reports of Joseph’s apprehension and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female successful 2020,” nan mates said, emphasizing that they “strongly condemn abuse.”
They besides gave “love” to Joseph’s woman Kendra, 27, and their 4 children.
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Josh besides reacted to Joseph’s apprehension in a connection from his lawyer, who said nan convicted activity offender was “deeply saddened” about nan allegations against his brother.
The lawyer besides said Josh “lives pinch nan achy reality of really mendacious accusations tin destruct a life.”
Joseph was accused by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office of molesting a 9-year-old woman successful Florida successful 2020.
The now-14-year-old claimed Joseph asked her to to beryllium adjacent to him connected a sofa earlier covering them up pinch a broad and rubbing her privates. Joseph allegedly rubbed his hands connected her thighs arsenic well.
Joseph confessed to nan crime erstwhile confronted by nan victim’s begetter connected Tuesday, officials said.
If you aliases personification you cognize is affected by immoderate of nan issues raised successful this story, telephone nan Sexual Assault Hotline astatine 1-800-330-0226.
