Amy Duggar said she was “sickened” by the situation following her cousin Joseph Duggar’s child molestation arrest.
“I am sickened, heartbroken, and deeply angry given the recent allegations regarding my cousin Joseph Duggar,” she said in a statement obtained by People Friday.
“My first thoughts are for the victim. This child deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust,” she continued. “The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying heavy weights, cannot be overstated. That courage is to be commended above all else.”
The “19 Kids and Counting” alum said he was “completely shocked to hear of these allegations and Joseph’s arrest,” but was “not surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.”
“For years, I have spoken out about the importance of truth, accountability, and protecting children, even if it meant going against my own family,” Amy said. “Family bonds should never equate to automatic trust and access.”
The author of “Sacred Destroyer” claimed that he had “worked hard to break the vicious cycle of both extended and immediate family” and that he would always remain an “advocate for the protection of children.”
Amy, 39, said: “I’m praying for the victims and their families as they face an incredibly difficult road ahead.”
“While I know we still don’t know the full story, I am praying for Joseph’s wife Kendra to begin working on this matter and for the protection of their children. I pray that eyes will be opened and above all that justice will be served to the fullest.”
Her emotional statement came after Joseph’s arrest in Arkansas on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old man was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a victim under the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious conduct with a person over the age of 18, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The victim told officers that in 2020, when she was 9 years old, she was allegedly involved in several incidents with Joseph during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The victim claimed that during the same vacation, Joseph repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap and touched her genitals. She also recalled the number of times Joseph allegedly rubbed her thighs, and said he later apologized and stopped the behavior.
On Tuesday, the victim’s father spoke with Joseph about the incident, and Joseph confessed to his father and Tontitown police officers, the sheriff’s office said.
However, Joseph’s older brother Josh on Thursday strongly condemned the “false charges” against his brother.
Specifically, Josh was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2021 for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. Josh is also accused of sexually abusing five girls in the early 2000s, including sisters Jill and Jessa Duggar.
Josh claimed through his lawyer from prison that he shared the same “stigma” as Joseph.
Josh’s lawyer told the Daily Mail on Friday: “He lives with the painful reality of how a wrongful conviction can destroy a life. He understands how targeting people for publicity can twist truth into sensational fiction.”
Meanwhile, Jill and her husband, Derick Dillard, said they were “shocked” by the news of Joseph’s arrest but supported the victim.
The “heartbroken” couple also continued to give “love” to Kendra and their four children.
