Derick Dillard Speaks out After Josh Duggar’s Shocking Arrest

Counting on alum Josh Duggar‘s arrest continues to shock those in the Duggar family. Derick Dillard, the husband of Josh’s sister Jill, added to the family’s statements expressing surprise and disgust over the child pornography charges. “We were surprised,” he told Radar Online. “This is a very sad time for our family. That’s our only comment at this time.”

Duggar was arrested by Federal agents in Washington County, Arkansas on Thursday. He was held without bail while officials said they were holding him for “another department.” On Friday, he appeared before a federal court hearing where he pleaded not guilty to charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. If allowed bail, the judge ordered that he can return home if no minors are present.

His sister Jinger Duggar responded to the news with a brief statement on social media. “We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh. 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,” she wrote on Instagram.

The arrest marks Duggar’s latest run-in with the law. The reality star’s dealership in Arkansas was the subject of a federal raid in 2019. At the time, the family responded to the incident saying they were “shocked to see a news report today state that our home was raided by federal law enforcement agencies,” the statement read. “This is not true. To the best of our knowledge, it’s also not true that any member of our family is the target of any investigation of any kind.” It’s unclear if the new arrest is in connection to the previous raid. Duggar is also facing a civil lawsuit for real estate fraud.

The news comes just after Duggar’s wife Anna revealed the couple was expecting their seventh child. “It’s a GIRL!!!!! We are overjoyed to announce baby seven is on the way and we can’t wait to hold her in our arms this fall!” Duggar shared, along with a photo of the family lounging together in a field and a short clip featuring pink confetti raining on the couple from an umbrella.