Joseph Duggar was arrested this month and allegedly confessed to sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in 2020
Credit: Jeremiah Duggar/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- On March 18, Joseph Duggar was arrested on child molestation charges
- His wife, Kendra, was arrested days later. A family spokesperson said Kendra’s arrest is unrelated to Joseph’s molestation charges
- On Thursday, March 26, Joseph’s younger brother, Jeremiah Duggar, posted on social media for the first time since the news broke, celebrating his four-year wedding anniversary
Jeremiah Duggar has returned to social media following his brother Joseph Duggar's arrest on child molestation charges.
On Thursday, March 26, Jeremiah, 27, posted an Instagram tribute to his wife, Hannah, for their fourth wedding anniversary. "It’s officially been 4 years since we tied the knot," his caption began alongside candid photos of the pair. "My love for you is deeper now than ever before."
"You are the most incredible wife, and I am so grateful our girls can look up to you as the ultimate role model in their life," he continued, referencing their three daughters, Brynley Noelle, 3, Brielle Grace, 2, and Emery "Emy" Jane, 10 months. "Happy 4 year anniversary Hannah!"
Jeremiah disabled comments on the post.
Credit: Jeremiah Duggar/Instagram
His upload comes hours after brother Jason Duggar and Jason's wife, Maddie, broke their silence after Joseph's arrest, sharing how they are "completely shocked, confused, and grieved."
"We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, however, this isn't about how it's impacted our lives," they said in a joint statement on Instagram. "Our hearts are burdened because a child's life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable. This is something unthinkable."
"We are angered by what was happened, and we pray God's righteous hand and the court system will serve justice in the situation as deserved," Jason, 25, added. "Maddie and I have always had a special place in our hearts for the vulnerable around us, and we will continue to do so. To fathom that someone would abuse their authority to harass the innocent is vile."
Joseph, 31, was arrested on March 18 and charged 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, Florida's Bay County Sheriff's Office said. Joseph was arrested in connection with a child sexual abuse case involving a then-9-year-old girl who was on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach, Fla., in 2020.
Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Department
The alleged abuse that led to Joseph's arrest on molestation charges occurred after he asked the victim to sit on his lap, per the Bay County Sheriff's Office. "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 BCSO said.
"The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology," BCSO added.
Duggar's arrest came after the now-14-year-old victim participated in a forensic interview regarding a report of past sexual abuse. Her father confronted Duggar about the incidents, and he "allegedly admitted his actions to the father and Tontitown detectives," police said in their release.
Joseph confessed to repeatedly molesting the 9-year-old in a phone call with the child's father and a detective with the local police department, according to an affidavit filed by the Bay County Sheriff's Office and obtained by PEOPLE.
BCSO Criminal Investigator Chase Norris wrote in the affidavit that he was told Joseph had confessed to molesting the minor while speaking with her father on March 17. During the phone call, Joseph "admitted his actions," and said "he touched the victim over her clothing," per the affidavit. He also "admitted his intentions were not pure."
Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Department
On March 20, he faced additional criminal charges in Arkansas.
A source close to the investigation told PEOPLE the latest charges are unrelated to the charge Duggar is facing in Florida.
His wife, Kendra, was also arrested and charged in Arkansas. A spokesperson for the family said the charges filed against Kendra, 27, are "totally unrelated" to the felony charges her husband is expected to face in Florida.
"She’s not suspected or accused of participating in his alleged crime," the spokesperson said. She and Joseph are both facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree, according to Arkansas's Tontitown Police Department.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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