Joseph Duggar denounced his brother Josh Duggar’s child sex abuse crimes years ahead of his own arrest for alleged molestation of a 9-year-old girl.
The 31-year-old, who was detained Wednesday over an alleged crime that took place in 2020, spoke out against Josh’s sexual abuse of five girls — including sisters Jill Duggar and Jessa Duggar — on a December 2015 episode of “Jill & Jessa: Counting On.”
At the time, he said, “Whenever somebody you respect the most is willing to get up and proclaim what we believe as Christians, about being true to your wife, you’d never think that that’s the person who’s involved in it.”
Sharing his surprise that Josh, 38, “was living such a secret life,” Joseph added, “It broke my heart.”
Josh was arrested six years later on charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Jim Bob and Michele Duggar’s eldest son, who shares seven children with wife Anna Duggar, was convicted in December 2021.
The following year, Josh was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison.
He is currently serving time at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Seagoville in Texas.
Joseph did not speak out against his sibling during the trial and had stopped posting his family life with wife Kendra Caldwell and their kids by this time.
Notably, Josh’s alleged molestation of a child during a 2020 vacation in Panama City Beach, Fla., took place the previous year.
The now 14-year-old “participated in a forensic interview,” which led to Joseph’s subsequent arrest.
He was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim younger than the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior toward a victim aged 18 or older.
Joseph allegedly “repeatedly asked [the victim] to sit on his lap,” as well as requesting she sit beside him on the couch as he covered her with a blanket and touched her privates — before apologizing and stopping.
When the victim’s father confronted Joseph on Tuesday, the “19 Kids and Counting” alum confessed to the crime, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Page Six hears he will be extradited from Washington County Jail to Arkansas’ Bay County.
A family spokesperson told Page Six the Duggars do not have a statement at this time.
