Josh Duggar’s Arrest Sparks Strong Response From Sister Jinger Duggar

Jinger Duggar Vuolo shared a short statement in response to her older brother Josh Duggar‘s arrest this week. Josh, 33, was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Thursday and arranged on Friday morning. He is facing two federal charges related to receiving and possessing child pornography. He pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled to start in July.

“We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh,” Vuolo, 27, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband Jeremy Vuolo, wrote in an Instagram post on Friday. “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.” Jill Duggar Dillard and her husband, Derick Dillard, also issued a brief statement to Entertainment Tonight. “We just learned this information. It is very sad,” the two said.

Josh was arraigned in federal court on Friday and held at the Washington County, Arkansas jail without bail. His bail hearing was scheduled for May 5 and his trial is set to start on July 6. If Josh is released on bail, the judge ordered him to stay where there are no minors present. The charges against him were not read in court. Still, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas later announced that a federal grand jury indicted Josh on two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography. If convicted, Josh could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and face $250,000 in fines for each charge.

“We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time,” Josh’s parents Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar, said in a joint statement. “The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious. It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner. We love Josh and Anna and continue to pray for their family.”

The charges against Josh come two years after Homeland Security agents reportedly raided the Duggar family home and the business Duggar worked at in 2019. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar released a statement at the time, denying the reports their home was searched. They were “shocked to see a news report today state that our home was raided by federal law enforcement agencies. This is not true,” they said in November 2019. “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.”

In 2015, Josh was accused of molesting multiple young girls when he was 14 and it was reported that some of the victims were his younger sisters. Jessa Duggar Seewald and Dillard said they were two of Josh’s victims during a Fox News interview. Today, Dillard and her husband are estranged from the Duggar family, although Vuolo recently told Us Weekly she is still in touch with her older sister. Her husband said there was “always hope that families are united and, you know, the family is strong.”