The Duggar sister said she and her family “continue to pray for the victim and for justice to be carried out.”

Jana Duggar says family had ‘no prior knowledge’ before Joseph’s arrest on child molestation charges

The Duggar sister said she and her family "continue to pray for the victim and for justice to be carried out."

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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April 3, 2026 11:13 a.m. ET

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Jana Duggar; Joseph Duggar. Credit:

Jana Duggar/YouTube;TLC

Another Duggar sibling is speaking out about *19 Kids and Counting* star Joseph Duggar's arrest on charges of child molestation.

Jana Duggar, 36, took to her Instagram Stories to break her silence on her younger brother's recent legal trouble. "We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the situation involving my brother, Joseph," Jana wrote on Thursday.

"This news came as a shock to us, as we had no prior knowledge before it became public," she continued. "Our hearts are with the child who has been harmed — this is a grievous and unacceptable wrong. We continue to pray for the victim and for justice to be carried out."

Janna Duggar's Instagram Stories.

Jana Duggar/Instagram

Joseph, 31, was apprehended on March 18 after being accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation in Panama Beach, Fla. Law enforcement allege Joseph had apologized to the girl at the time and admitted guilt to officials on March 17.

The reality star was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old, as well as lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. He waived his right to an extradition hearing, meaning he will be extradited to and tried in Florida.

Joseph was released from jail on March 31 — where he had been held in solitary confinement —after pleading not guilty to child molestation charges and posting a $600,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 18, reports PEOPLE.

Jill Duggar Dillard, the second-oldest Duggar sister, shared her reaction to Joseph's arrest on March 19 via the Dillard Family blog. She said she was "shocked and heartbroken" to hear the news.

"We strongly condemn abuse," Dillard, 34, wrote. "We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. 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."

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Jinger Duggar Vuolo and her husband Jeremy Vuolo also addressed the news on March 25 via their *The Jinger and Jeremy Podcast**.*

"It's been one of those weeks that feels like years, and I did not think that my heart could break like it has this week," Jinger said. "The pain and heartbreak that we've had over this and just thinking of how it's affected so many, yeah, that's just unthinkable."

Jeremy shared a prayer for the child alleged to be the victim and commended her bravery. He added that the alleged incident would have a lasting impact on the girl, her family, and the Duggar clan for years to come.

"The effect on that young person's life is unimaginable," Jeremy said. "And then to see the ripple effect of that horrific crime just across the board, it just has so many damaging rippling effects."

Joseph Duggar's mugshot.

Washington County Sheriff's Department

Jinger compared the fallout of Joseph's alleged crimes to the experience of learning about their older brother Josh's arrest in 2021. Josh, 38, is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence on charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Josh himself has spoken out about his brother's arrest, with his attorney sharing that he "understands the stigma of being accused." From prison, Josh shared that he was "deeply saddened" by the accusations against his younger brother.

"He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life," Josh's attorney told the *Daily Mail.* "He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction."

*If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.*

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