Dugger family members react to Joseph Dugger’s arrest

Multiple members of the Duggar family reacted Joseph DuggerArrested on child molestation charges.

Joseph found fame with family on reality show 19 Kids and Countingwas detained In 2020, he was accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. He was arrested by the Tonytown, Arkansas Police Department on March 18, 2026, after the Bay County Sheriff’s Department obtained a warrant.

“The victim reported that Dugger asked her to sit on his lap multiple times,” the Bay County Sheriff’s Office revealed in a press release at the time. “As the holiday continued, he also sat her on the couch next to him and covered them with a blanket.”

“During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and abrased her genitals. Duggar also continued to rub her thighs with his hands,” the statement added.

Joseph was ultimately charged with one count of lewd and lascivious conduct involving a victim under the age of 12 and another count of lewd and lascivious conduct involving a person 18 years of age or older.

Joseph appear in court On March 20, he waived his right to an extradition hearing and ultimately agreed to be transferred to Florida to face the charges.

A few days after Joseph’s arrest, news broke that Joseph had also been arrested Facing four charges with his wife, endangering the welfare of a minor, a second-degree count, and four counts of second-degree unlawful imprisonment. Kendra Duggar. Kendra is Arrested on March 20, 2026and was issued in the form of bonds on the same day.

Many members of the Duggar family have spoken out about Joseph’s arrest, including his siblings Jill and Josh. (Josh was convicted of possession of child pornography and is currently serving time in prison.)

Keep scrolling to see what the Duggars had to say about Joseph:

Jill Dugger

Jill Dugger Make a statement News about Joseph Dugar’s arrest was posted on her family blog.

“Last night we were shocked to learn of the arrest of Jill’s brother (Joseph Dugar),” the post began. “We first became aware of any information regarding his allegations yesterday through a text message from a friend who sent us a message regarding recent media reports regarding Joseph’s arrest and the fact that he allegedly molested a teenage female in 2020.”

Jill added that she and her husband Derek Dillard “Shocked and heartbroken” by the accusations.

“We strongly condemn the abuse. We support the rule of law and hope justice is served,” she continued. “Our hearts go out to the innocent teenage victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. We pray that God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she will receive all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead.”

Josh Dugger

Josh Dugger Say it While jailed over his brother’s arrest, he shared he was “deeply saddened” by the accusations against Joseph Dugar.

“Josh understands the shame of being accused. He lives with the painful reality of how wrongful accusations can ruin his life,” Josh’s lawyer said in a statement to the Daily Mail on behalf of the reality star. “He understands how targeting someone for propaganda can twist the truth into sensational fiction.”

The statement added that while “Josh and Joe do not communicate regularly,” Josh “wishes and prays for the best for his brother during this difficult time.”

Amy Duggar King

Amy Dugger King, cousin of Joseph Dugger broke her silence about his arrest.

“In light of the recent allegations involving my cousin Joseph Duggar, I am sickened, heartbroken and extremely angry,” Amy said in a statement. US Weekly. “My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserves to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she can trust. The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after carrying such a heavy weight for so many years, cannot be overstated. It is the kind of courage that deserves the most respect.”

Amy added that she was “completely shocked” by Joseph’s accusations, but also spoke of the “toxic system” in the family.

“For years I have spoken out about the importance of truth, responsibility and protecting children, even if it meant going against my own family,” she continued. “Family relationships should never equal automatic trust or contact, especially when it comes to child safety. When image is protected over truth, and silence is chosen over accountability, it creates an environment where abuse thrives.”

Amy said she “works hard to break the cycle” in families and advocates for “child protection.”

“I am praying for the victim and her family as they will have to walk an extremely difficult road,” she shared. “Recognizing that we don’t know the full story yet, I am also praying for Joseph’s wife, Kendra, as she begins to process this, and for the protection of their children. I pray that people’s eyes will be opened, and most importantly, I pray that justice will be served to the fullest extent possible.”

Amy was later seen crying in social media videos News broke that Kendra was also arrested this week.

Jessa Dugger

Jessa Duggar released a statement on behalf of herself and her husband, Ben Seewaldon March 20, 2026.

“We, along with the rest of the world, were devastated to learn of this sad news on Wednesday,” the statement read. “Our hearts grieve for this innocent young girl and we know this is very sad for a God who tenderly cares for children and the vulnerable. We are praying for her.”

Jessa later Deleted her uploaded content same day.

Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo

On March 25, Jinger spoke publicly about her brother’s arrest. An episode of her “Jinger & Jeremy” podcast.

“These weeks have felt like years. I didn’t think my heart would be broken like it is this week,” she said. “The pain and heartbreak that we’re going through with this, just thinking about how it’s affected so many people, yeah, it’s just unimaginable. It’s so hard and painful on so many levels.”

She added, “Even though we’ve been through something very similar before with another sibling of mine who made unimaginable choices and decisions that affected us all. However, the pain and hurt that this has caused us… it’s hard sometimes to know what to do and move on. You just feel the weight of it.”

Jeremy chimed in to add that he and his wife were “praying for the victims” who came forward.

“It breaks my heart to think of the victims who had the courage to share their stories,” he added. “The impact this has on young people’s lives is unimaginable. And then to see the ripple effects of this horrific crime.”

Jason Duggar and Maddie Grace Duggar

Jason Duggar and his wife, Maddie Grace Duggar, said: “We, like so many, have spent this week feeling so shocked, confused and saddened that there are more emotions than I can list.” wrote in a joint statement shared via Instagram on March 26, a week after Joseph Duggar was arrested. “We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, but that has nothing to do with how it affects our lives.”

The pair shared: “Our hearts are heavy that a child’s life has been turned upside down by the evil actions of someone who should not have harmed a vulnerable community. It’s unthinkable.”

“We are outraged by what happened and we pray that God’s righteous hand and the court system will deliver justice in this case,” the statement continued. “Maddie and I have always held a special place in our hearts for the vulnerable people around us and we will continue to do so. To think that someone would abuse their power to harass innocent people is despicable.”

“We ask that you pray for the victim who bravely shared what happened. We also ask that you pray for his family at this time as his children must deal with the loss of a father who should have been a spiritual leader in their lives,” they added, referring to the four children Joseph shared with his wife, Kendra Duggar.

“We always stand with innocent children,” Jason and Maddie concluded.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact National Sexual Assault Hotline Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, please call or text Children’s Helpline Phone: 1-800-422-4453.