Jessa Duggar Seewald has broken her silence following the arrest of Joseph Duggar on child molestation charges but her message of support appeared to be deleted shortly after it was posted. Jessa and Joseph are two of the 19 kids of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar featured on TLC's ‘19 Kids & Counting.’
Jessa's message of support
Over the weekend, Jessa who is 33 and is married to Ben Seewald took to Instagram Story to respond to the shocking news of Joseph's arrest. Joseph, 31, has been arrested for allegedly touching the genitals of a nine-year-old during a Florida vacation in 2020.
"We learned of this saddening news along with the rest of the world on Wednesday, and we are in complete shock," Jessa wrote.
"Our hearts are grieving for this innocent young girl, and we know this is deeply grievous to God, who cares tenderly for children and the vulnerable. We are keeping her in our prayers,” she added.
She also extended her support to Joseph's wife, Kendra and their children, writing, "As a family, we are pulling together to support Kendra and her kids during this difficult time."
{{/usCountry}}She also extended her support to Joseph's wife, Kendra and their children, writing, "As a family, we are pulling together to support Kendra and her kids during this difficult time."
{{/usCountry}}However, the post appeared to be deleted shortly after it went up.
What are the charges against Joseph Duggar?
Joseph has been charged with serious crimes, including inappropriate sexual behavior involving a child under 12 and similar behavior by an adult over 18.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, the case began after a detective from the Tontitown Police Department contacted them about a report of past sexual abuse.
A 14-year-old girl told authorities about several incidents involving Joseph. She said these incidents happened during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida in 2020 when she was 9 years old.
Kendra Duggar also charged
The case took another turn on March 20 when the Tontitown Police Department said that Kendra and Joseph Duggar are charged with four counts of endangering a minor and four counts of false imprisonment in a separate case.
Kendra was arrested and taken to the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas and later released the same day. It remains unclear whether Jessa deleted her post after learning about these additional charges.