Former Counting On star Joy-Anna Duggar broke her silence following brother Josh Duggar’s child pornography trial and said she “agrees” with the guilty verdict.
“Over this last year, as you can imagine, there have been a lot of unanswered questions in our minds regarding Josh,” Joy-Anna, 24, wrote via Instagram Stories during the late hours of Sunday, December 12. “We were able to sit through the trial to hear the evidence for ourselves.”
“We agree with the judicial system’s verdict, and we are thankful for the men and women who work tirelessly to protect children and help prevent child sexual abuse material,” the 19 Kids and Counting alum continued, adding that her “heart breaks” for the “victims.”
Joy-Anna noted she and her family, including husband Austin Forsyth and kids Gideon and Evelyn, are “praying” for Josh’s wife Anna Duggar and their seven children.
Josh was found guilty of possessing and receiving child pornography on Thursday, December 9. The disgraced reality star was seen telling Anna, 33, he “loved” her one final time before being taken away in handcuffs. After being escorted by police, he smiled in his mugshot taken by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The former car salesman is awaiting his sentencing trial but is facing up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 for each count he was found guilty of.
Many of Josh’s family members were present for the ongoing trial, including Jill Dillard (née Duggar) and husband Derick Dillard, who also released a statement after “seeing all the evidence” in court.
“We believe that the jury reached a just verdict today, consistent with the truth beyond a reasonable doubt. 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,” the couple wrote, adding that “nobody is above the law,” in a joint message on their blog after the trial.
Their statement continued, “It applies equally to everybody, no matter your wealth, status, associations, gender, race or any other factor. Today, the people of the Western District of Arkansas made that clear in their verdict. As a Christian, we believe we are all equal at the foot of the cross, and, likewise, we are all equal under the law.”
That being said, Jill, 30, and Derick, 32, added that their “hearts go out” to the victims before mentioning Anna.
“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,” their statement concluded. “This trial has felt more like a funeral than anything else. 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.”
Josh’s trial has shaken the entire reality family. An insider told In Touch that the brood was “torn apart” after he was found guilty.
“The family prayed and prayed, but also braced themselves for the worst. His parents, [Michelle Duggar] and [Jim Bob Duggar], are trying to stay strong, praying for Josh, his wife and their grandkids,” said the insider. “The family is rallying, but some of the kids can’t forgive their brother Josh for what he did. They’re horrified that he didn’t get help sooner.”