‘Counting On’ Family Member Wants ‘Justice Carried Out’ After Josh Duggar Arrest

Counting On stars Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger Duggar Vuolo are continuing their book press tour, despite the arrest of Jinger’s older brother, Josh Duggar, on federal child pornography charges. The couple spoke with Today on Wednesday and did not avoid commenting on the subject. Jeremy, a retired professional soccer player, said they hope to see “justice carried out” in the case.

“Nothing can prepare someone to receive news like that,” Jeremy told Today. “Like everyone else, we are absolutely horrified and want to see justice carried out. And we just want to say that we are grateful for the authorities who work tirelessly to end child abuse here and around the world. We’re praying for all of the victims in this situation — really, we’re praying for everyone who is involved.”

Duggar, 33, was arrested on April 29, just days before the Vuolos’ book The Hope We Hold was released. Duggar was charged with allegedly possessing and receiving child pornography and pleaded not guilty. According to prosecutors, Duggar allegedly received over 200 images showing child sexual abuse, with children between 18 months to 12 years old. During a bail hearing last week, Judge Christy Comstock ruled that Duggar could be released into the custody of a third party, family friends Lacount and Maria Reber. He can still have contact with his wife, Anna Duggar, and their six children, but must be supervised. Anna is pregnant with the couple’s seventh child. Duggar’s trial is scheduled to start in July.

After Duggar’s arrest, the Vuolos were the first member of the Duggar family to speak out. They posted the same statement to their individual Instagram pages. “We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh,” their statement read. “While this case must go through the legal system, we want to make it clear that we absolutely condemn any form of child abuse and fully support the authorities and judicial process in their pursuit of justice.”

During the situation, the parents of two have leaned on their faith. “As a Christian, my hope is based on who Jesus is and what he has promised,” Jinger told Today. “Jesus even tells us that we will walk through ‘the valley of the shadow of death,’ so it’s no surprise that this world is full of darkness, but it’s the light of Christ and his word that gives us joy, peace, and security.”

While promoting the book, Jeremy discussed his 2008 arrest in an interview with Us Weekly. While a college student in Oneonta, New York, he grabbed an officer during a night of drinking with friends. He received a $250 fine, and the situation put him on a different path. After the arrest, he felt he was coming “face-to-face with the reality that if I was going to call myself a Christian, I needed to live for Christ and not for me,” he said. “Or if I was gonna keep living for myself, I needed to not call myself a Christian.” Jeremy and Jinger married in 2016 and are parents to daughters Felicity, 2, and Evangeline, 5 months.