Jill Duggar Dillard is speaking out for the first time since her brother Joseph Duggar was arrested.
On Wednesday, Mar. 18, Joseph was arrested and charged for Lewd and Lascivious Behavior, involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
In the late evening hours of Thursday, Mar. 19, Jill and her husband Derick Dillard issued a statement via their website in response to the arrest.
“We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother (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 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.”
RELATED: 19 Kids and Counting’s Joseph Duggar Arrested for Child Molestation
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Facebook, investigators were contacted on Mar. 18, by a police detective in Tontitown, Arkansas—where the Duggar family lives—about a report of past sexual abuse.
During a forensic interview, the 14-year-old victim disclosed incidents involving Duggar during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, when she was 9.
According to the sheriff’s office, the victim reported that Duggar “repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap, sit beside him on a couch, and cover them with a blanket.” Duggar then allegedly made inappropriate contact with the victim and rubbed his hands on her thighs.
The victim said that Duggar eventually apologized, and that the alleged misconduct stopped after the apology.
Investigators discovered the victim’s father confronted Duggar about these incidents on Mar. 17, 2026, with Duggar admitting his actions to the victim’s father and to Tontitown Detectives.
Duggar was arrested out of state and faces charges of Lewd and Lascivious Behavior, including Molestation of a victim under 12 and conduct by a person 18 or older. He is currently awaiting extradition to Bay County.
This is not the first arrest for the Duggar family, either. Duggar’s older brother, Josh Duggar, was convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material in 2021 and sentenced to over 12 years in prison. The Dillards condemned Josh’s actions after his conviction as well.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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