“Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” a spokesperson for the family says
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Joseph Duggar; right: Michelle Duggar and Jim Bob Duggar.Credit : TLC; Peter Kramer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are speaking out after the arrest of their son Joseph.
Joseph, 31, was arrested on March 18 and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, per Florida’s Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
He allegedly confessed to repeatedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in a phone call with the child’s father and a detective with the local police department, according to an affidavit filed by authorities.
He is also facing additional criminal charges in Arkansas, and a source close to the investigation told PEOPLE the latest charges are unrelated to those in Florida.
A spokesperson for the family tells PEOPLE on Monday, March 30, that Joseph’s parents Jim Bob, 60, and Michelle, 59, are “heartbroken over this entire situation.”
“Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” the spokesperson says, referring to Joseph’s wife, Kendra, with whom he has four kids. “They are praying for the victim. They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many.”
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Joseph Duggar’s mugshot.
Washington County Sheriff’s Department
Kendra was also arrested and charged in Arkansas. A spokesperson for their family previously told PEOPLE 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 both face four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree, in relation to the Arkansas charges, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Joseph is no longer in their custody as of March 27. He is not yet listed as being in the custody of the BCSO, as of Monday, March 30.
Kendra is out on bail following her charges. Both she and Joseph are scheduled to appear in an Arkansas courtroom April 29.
Joseph appeared on all four iterations of his family’s TLC reality series franchise beginning when he was 13 on 19 Kids and Counting. He has been married to Kendra since 2017.
A federal jury previously convicted Joseph’s older brother Josh Duggar, 38, of receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Josh was sentenced to over 12 years in prison.
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