Jill Duggar Was the First Family Member to Speak out About Brother Joseph Duggar's Arrest

Content warning: This article discusses allegations of the sexual molestation of a child.

After Joseph Duggar from 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On was arrested on charges related to the molestation of a 9-year-old girl in 2020, his older sister, Jill Duggar, shared a response with her husband, Derick Dillard, on their family website. Jill was the first person to open up about the arrest publicly, and she and Derick shared their thoughts on the crime, how they heard about it, and what they feel for the unnamed victim.

According to the Tontitown, Ark., Sheriff's Department on Facebook, officers received a warrant for Joseph's arrest on March 18, 2026, and arrested him. At that time, he was set to be extradited to Florida, where the alleged crime took place in 2020. The Bay County Sheriff's Office in Florida posted an update on Facebook to share that Joseph admitted to the crime to Tontitown detectives. He was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior. Now, Jill has spoken out about her brother's arrest.

On March 19, 2026, Jill and Derick released a joint statement on their family website. They shared Bible verses and wrote that they were unaware of the allegations against Joseph and his arrest until a friend shared the news with them. Jill and Derick are also the first members of the Duggar family to speak out about Joseph's arrest.

"We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill's brother (Joseph Duggar's) arrest," Jill and Derick said in their statement. "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."

The statement went on to say that both Jill and Derick "strongly condemn abuse." They also wrote that they hope the now 14-year-old victim in the crime gets the support and help she needs. At the end of the statement, Jill and Derick also referenced Joseph's wife, Kendra Duggar, and their four children. Joseph and Kendra got married in 2017 and welcomed their first child in 2018.

"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," Jill and Derick added in their shared statement in response to Joseph's arrest.

The day after Joseph's arrest in Arkansas, his intake video was released and shared across social media. In the video, a deputy searches him and they briefly talk about the process as Joseph leans against a wall and later removes his shoes and socks. At one point, Joseph makes a remark about being slightly familiar with the process because of his brother.

It's unclear if he is referring to his older brother Josh Duggar's 2021 arrest or his other older brother John David Duggar's former role as a constable. At this time, Joseph has not been convicted of crimes related to the molestation allegations.