Josh Duggar Sends Message From Prison About Brother Joseph's Arrest & Child Molestation Charges

Counting On star Josh Duggar sent a message from prison about his brother Joseph Duggar‘s arrest and child molestation charges.

On Friday, March 20, Josh, 38—who is currently serving more than 12 years behind bars after his child sexual abuse material (CSAM) conviction—released a statement through his attorney about his younger brother, Joseph, 31.

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Josh said that the allegations against his younger brother “deeply saddened” him, telling the Daily Mail, “Josh understands the stigma of being accused.”

The statement through Josh’s attorney continued, “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.”

On March 17, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida arrested Joseph and charged him with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. A March 18 Facebook statement news release detailed the alleged crimes involving Joseph, an Arkansas native, and a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation in Florida.

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“The 14-year-old victim participated in a forensic interview, where she disclosed several incidents involving Duggar that occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9-years-old,” it read.

The news release continued, “The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap. As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs. The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”

Joseph’s first court appearance is set for March 20.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available 24 hours a day through RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

Next: Duggar Family Scandals Explained After Another 19 Kids and Counting Arrest