Yesterday, we reported that Josh Duggar had been arrested for allegedly receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children, charges which he has pled not guilty to. Now, his family has broken their silence in the wake of his arrest.
“We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time. The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious,” his parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar said on their website. “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.”
Josh’s sister Jessa and her husband Ben Seewald addressed the scandal on their Instagram Story, saying, “We are saddened to hear of the charges against Josh. As Christians, we stand against any form of pornography or abuse and we desire for the truth to be exposed, whatever that may be. Our prayers are with their family as they walk through this difficult time.”
Josh’s sister Jinger and her husband Jeremy Vuolo said they were “disturbed” by the claims made against Josh.
“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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Josh’s sister Jill and her husband Derek Dillard reacted to his arrest by telling Entertainment Tonight, “This is just very sad for our family.”
Duggar’s lawyers Justin Gelfand, Travis W. Story and Greg Payne said in a statement that, “Josh Duggar has been charged in a two-count indictment. He has pled not guilty to both charges and we intend to defend this case aggressively and thoroughly. In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime. But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom — and that is exactly what Josh intends to do.”
Josh is facing up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 on each count if he is convicted.
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