Counting On Jim Bob and Michelle’s seventh child and third son, Joseph, was arrested on Wednesday, March 18, and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, which means he had sex with a minor in an illegal way.
On Thursday, March 19, Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard put out a statement on their website late at night in response to the arrest.
“We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother’s (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest,” the statement began.
“We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. We are shocked and heartbroken.”
“We strongly condemn abuse. We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved,” the statement continued. “Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. We pray God gives her strength, comfort, and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead.”
The statement also included her sister-in-law, Kendra, and their four children.
The statement concluded, “We love our sister-in-law, Kendra, and our four nieces and nephews and pray that they feel loved and supported during this time, as we cannot imagine the indescribable pain they feel as they process and grieve everything.”
Bay City Sheriff’s Statement About Duggar
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page says that on March 18, a police detective in Tontitown, Arkansas, where the Duggar family lives, called investigators about a report of past sexual abuse.
During a forensic interview, the 14-year-old victim talked about things that happened with Duggar when she was 9, and her family went on vacation to Panama City Beach, Florida.
Duggar Victim Told Dad
The victim said that Duggar eventually said he was sorry, and that the bad behavior stopped after that.
On March 17, 2026, the victim’s father confronted Duggar about these events. Joseph Duggar admitted to the victim’s father and to Tontitown detectives.
Joseph was arrested in another state and is being charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, which means that he touched someone under 12 inappropriately in a sexual way. He is presently waiting to be sent back to Bay County.
Josh Duggar, Duggar’s older brother, was found guilty of having child sexual abuse material in 2021. He was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
After Josh was found guilty, the Dillards also spoke out against what he did.
Florida is preparing to extradite Joseph Duggar soon. He is now in jail in Arkansas, awaiting extradition. What do you think about Jill and Derick’s response? Come back to the Daily News Corner for more Duggar updates.
