Jason Duggar BETRAYS Family Code! His Statement After Joseph’s Arrest Is SHOCKING!

Jason Duggar and his wife Maddie are the latest family members to break their silence after Joseph Duggar’s arrest.

“We, like many, have spent the week completely shocked, confused, and grieved to list a few emotions. We are disgusted to hear the news about my brother, however, this isn’t about how it’s impacted our lives. Our hearts are burdened because a child’s life has been turned upside down due to evil actions of someone who should have never hurt the vulnerable. This is something unthinkable,” they said in a statement shared on Instagram Thursday, March 26.

“We are angered by what was happened, and we pray God’s righteous hand and the court system will serve justice in the situation as deserved,” Jason, 25, added. “Maddie and I have always had a special place in our hearts for the vulnerable around us, and we will continue to do so. To fathom that someone would abuse their authority to harass the innocent is vile.”

“We ask that you pray for the victim who has been brave enough to share what has happened. We also ask that you pray for his family at this time, as his children must face the reality of losing a father that should have been a spiritual leader in their lives,” they added. “We stand with innocent children. Always.”

Joseph, one of the 19 Kids and Counting stars, was arrested on child molestation charges on March 18, after he allegedly confessed to molesting a 9-year-old in a phone call with the child’s father and a detective with the local police department, according to an affidavit filed by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by PEOPLE.

He was charged with two counts of child sex abuse in connection with a 2020 incident involving the then-9-year-old girl who was on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach, Fla., per the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said the alleged abuse occurred when Joseph, 31, allegedly asked the victim to sit on his lap during a 2020 vacation. He then “also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket” as the vacation continued, per the BCSO. “During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs,” the BCSO wrote on Facebook.

“The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology,” the office continued.

The girl, now 14, later participated in a forensic interview regarding a report of past sexual abuse, per the office. Her father has also confronted Joseph about the incidents, when Joseph “allegedly admitted his actions to the father and Tontitown detectives,” per authorities.  

Two days after Joseph’s arrest, his wife Kendra was also arrested. A spokesperson for the family said the charges filed against Kendra, 27, are “totally unrelated” to the felony charges her husband is expected to face in Florida.

“She’s not suspected or accused of participating in his alleged crime,” the spokesperson said. She and Joseph are both facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree, and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree, according to Arkansas’ Tontitown Police Department.

Jinger Duggar and her husband Jeremy Vuolo spoke out following the arrests on a March 25 episode of their podcast, calling the news “devastating.”

“I did not think my heart could break like it has this week,” Jinger said. “The pain and heartbreak that we’ve had over this and just thinking of how it’s affected so many — yeah, it’s just unthinkable. It’s so hard and painful on many levels.”

Joseph’s cousin Amy Duggar King has also spoken out. In a statement, she said she was “sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry” following his arrest.

“My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust. The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated,” Amy said.

She said she was “utterly shocked to hear about these allegations and Joseph’s arrest,” but “at the same time I am 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 when it meant going against my own family,” Amy continued. “Family ties should never equal automatic trust or access, especially when it comes to the safety of children. When an image is protected over truth, and silence is chosen over accountability, it creates an environment where abuse can thrive.”

Joseph’s oldest brother, Josh, previously admitted in 2015 to molesting four of his younger sisters and was convicted in 2021 of receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct after investigators discovered such material on his work computer at a used car dealership he operated.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.