The Duggar family is back in the spotlight and for all the wrong reasons. For those unaware, the family was at the centre of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, which aired from 2008 to 2015. It was on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, that Joseph Duggar, brother of Jill Duggar Dillard, who was also seen on the show, was arrested after being charged with two counts of child sex abuse. The same was revealed by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. Following the intense scrutiny after the arrest, Jill and her family have finally addressed the shocking accusations levied against Joseph.
Jill Dillard and her family address the accusations against Joseph Duggar on their blog
Joseph Duggar’s arrest on March 18, 2026, on child molestation charges has sent shockwaves among the fans of 19 Kids and Counting, who originally saw him on the show. Naturally, the seriousness of the charges has led to tremendous online scrutiny of Joseph and his family. This has finally led Jill Dillard and her family to address the accusations a day after Joseph’s arrest, on March 19, 2026, in a post on the Dillard Family blog.
In the post, the family wrote how shocked they were to hear about Jill’s brother, Joseph’s arrest, “yesterday evening”. They wrote that they first heard of the matter and the charges that Joseph was facing after a friend texted them about it on March 18, 2026. Apparently, this friend who remained unnamed in the blog post saw the recent media reports and how Joseph and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female back in 2020. They noted that the revelations left their family not only shocked but also heartbroken.
Mentioning their stance on the matter, the Dillard family wrote that they “strongly condemn abuse”. They further mentioned how they support the rule of law and “hope that justice will be achieved.” To mention, in the post, the Dillard family also wrote about how their heart goes out to the “innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family.” The family prayed for God to give her strength, comfort, and hope, and for her to be able in the future to get all the help and support she needs and deserves.
In the long statement that the Dillard family posted on their blog, they made sure not to miss Joseph’s wife, Kendra Caldwell, as well as the four kids that the duo share together. The post said that they love their sister-in-law and their four nieces and nephews. They hoped that Kendra and her children would feel loved and supported during this time, noting that they “cannot imagine the indescribable pain they feel as they process and grieve everything.” The Dillard family concluded their post with two Bible verses. It is worth noting that later, Jill, who herself is a mother of three children, shared with her husband, Derick Dillard, also posted the same statement on her Instagram handle with a broken heart emoji in the caption.
About Joseph Duggar’s arrest
On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced that Joseph Duggar, who is a former reality TV star, best known for his stint on 19 Kids and Counting, has been booked into the Washington County, Arkansas, jail. According to a report by People, Joseph was taken into custody at 3:59 p.m. local time and was awaiting extradition to Bay County to face his charges.
Coming to the alleged sexual abuse, the authority reports state that it happened when Joseph allegedly asked the victim, who was only 9 years old at the time of the incident, to sit on his lap during a family vacation around 2020. It was after the victim, who is now 14 years old, took part in a forensic interview that Joseph allegedly admitted to his actions to the victim’s father and Tontitown detectives. Now, per jail records, Joseph is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, March 20, 2026.
What are your thoughts on the statement issued by Jill Duggar Dillard and her family post Joseph Duggar’s arrest? Let us know.
Also read: Joe Duggar’s Family Panama City Beach Video Resurfaces As Arrest Links Back To 2020 Minor Case
