Jinger (Duggar) Vuolois speaking out after her oldest brother,Josh Duggar, was arrested on child pornography charges.
In a jointstatementshared to their respective Instagram accounts on Friday, Jinger, 27, and her husbandJeremy Vuoloboth said that they are “disturbed” after the charges were brought against Josh.
“We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh. While this case must go through the legal system, we want to make it clear that we absolutely condemn any form of child abuse and fully support the authorities and judicial process in their pursuit of justice,” theCounting Onstars’postsread.
Along with Josh, Jinger starred on TLC’s19 Kids and Countingbefore it wascanceledin 2015 in the wake of the former’s sexual misconduct scandal. (In 2015, Josh apologized after a 2006 police report was unearthed that revealed he was previously investigated for molesting five underage girls. His sistersJessa Seewaldand Jill Dillard were among the victims who came forward, butthey claimed to have “moved on” from the situation.)
Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo; Josh Duggar.Instagram; Patsy Lynch/Shutterstock
On Friday, Josh appeared at the hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas via Zoom, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where he was charged.
During his court appearance, he pleaded not guilty to the two charges against him: one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
“Josh Duggar has been charged in a two-count indictment. He has pled not guilty to both charges and we intend to defend this case aggressively and thoroughly. In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime. But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom — and that is exactly what Josh intends to do,” his attorneys, Justin Gelfand, Travis W. Story and Greg Payne, said in a statement.
Josh allegedly used the internet to download material of child sexual abuse, “some of which depicts the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, in May 2019,” according to a press release.
If he is convicted, Josh faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 on each count. Josh, who is being held at an Arkansas detention center, will remain in jail as he awaits a bond hearing.
Listen below to the episode ofour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Dayfor more on Josh Duggar.
Jim Bob, Michelle, Anna and Josh Duggar.Anna Duggar/instagram
In a statement to PEOPLE on Friday, Josh’s parents,Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar saidthey “appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time.”
“The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious. It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner. We love Josh and Anna and continue to pray for their family,” it continued.
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.
source: people.com
