Family support? Former Counting On star Jill Dillard‘s (née Duggar) husband Derick Dillard recently hinted that he would be there for Josh Duggar‘s wife following his brother-in-law’s guilty verdict in his child pornography trial.
After Derick, 32, shared a joint statement with Jill, 30, on his Twitter account, a follower replied on December 13, “I hope you’ll go out of your way to help Anna and her children.”
Derick liked the comment — possibly confirming that he would be there to help Anna Duggar (née Keller) and her children, whom she shares with Josh, 33. It appears to be the only response that he liked in the replies to his post.
Anna, 33, and the disgraced reality TV star share seven children: Mackynzie, Michael, Marcus, Meredith, Mason, Maryella and Madyson, whom they welcomed in October 2021. They are all aged 12 and under.
Josh was found guilty by a federal jury on December 9 on both charges, including one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. According to the prosecution, some of the images found on the devices Josh used contained images of children under the age of 12.
“Josh’s actions have rippled far beyond the epicenter of the offense itself. Children have scars, but his family is also suffering the fallout of his actions,” Jill and Derick shared in their statement, posted on the same day Josh’s guilty verdict was announced.
“Our hearts are sensitive to the pains Josh’s wife, Anna, and their seven children have already endured and will continue to process in the future. This trial has felt more like a funeral than anything else,” their statement continued. “Josh’s family has a long road ahead. We stand with them, we are praying for them, and we will seek to support them however we can during this dark time.”
During Josh’s trial, a once-long-time friend of the Duggar family, Bobye Holt, took the stand for the prosecution. During her testimony, Bobye stated Josh confessed to molesting young girls while he was a teenager.
In 2015, through the Freedom of Information Act, In Touch obtained a police report from 2006. The report revealed Josh inappropriately touched five underage girls. Josh’s sisters Jill and Jessa Seewald (née Duggar) came forward as two of his victims.
Anna appeared supportive of her husband throughout his trial and stood by his side as they entered and exited the courthouse with his legal team. A source previously told In Touch that she “hoped Josh didn’t do these things and that she “believed him when he told her that had sinned back in the day, that he repented and got help.”
Josh currently remains in custody as he awaits his sentencing trial. He could face up to 20 years and $250,000 in fines for each count.