Jinger Duggar Recalls the Moment Her Brother Josh's Past Molestation Scandal Was Made Public in 2015

Josh Duggar's past molestation scandal, which was made public in 2015, has come back up in the [...]

By Stephen Andrew

Josh Duggar's past molestation scandal, which was made public in 2015, has come back up in the wake of his arrest on child pornography charges, and his sister Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo recently recalled the moment it all came out. According to PEOPLE, In her new book, The Hope We Hold: Finding Peace in the Promises of God — which she wrote with her husband — Vuolo refers to the time as "awful" and "painful." The book came out on Tuesday, so its writing predates Duggar's arrest and criminal charges.

"Earlier that day, Dad had gathered my siblings and me to tell us that the worst trial in our family history, a trial we had long since dealt with and made our peace with, was now public knowledge," Vuolo writes in the book, referring to the day that the past molestation was reported on publicly. "Intimate details about our lives were splashed across a magazine page and all over the Internet for anyone and everyone to read," the 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On star went on to write. "I felt shell-shocked, as if a bomb had exploded."

Vuolo states that she felt as if she was "living in a nightmare that I wished with all my heart wasn't real." She notes that "one of my siblings had made some sinful choices, but it had all been years ago. It had been awful, but we had dealt with it as a family." Vuolo then adds that the family had "sought the Lord" and "took the necessary steps to move toward healing." Suddenly, though, "it was out in public" and "the old wound was open again, raw, painful."

Duggar was taken into custody by sheriffs in Arkansas on Wednesday, April 28. The following day, it was announced that he had been transferred to the custody of U.S. Marshals and formally charged with possession of child pornography. He has since entered a plea of "not guilty" but will remain in custody until his bond hearing on Friday, May 6.

Following her brother's arrest, Vuolo and her husband issued a joint statement condemning the crimes of which he is accused. "We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh," they said. "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."

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