Jessa Duggar Deletes Supportive Messages After Kendra Duggar Is Accused — “She Is No Longer My Sister-in-Law”
Jessa Duggar Seewald shared a message of support for sister-in-law Kendra Duggar after Kendra’s husband, Joseph Duggar, was arrested on child molestation charges — then seemingly deleted the Instagram post.
Over the weekend, Jessa (who is married to Ben Seewald) broke her silence following the arrest of Joseph, who has been accused of touching the genitals of a girl who was 9 years old at the time of the alleged incident in 2020.
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar’s 31-year-old son was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior (molestation of a victim less than 12 years old) and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
“We learned of this saddening news along with the rest of the world on Wednesday, and we are in complete shock,” Jessa, 33, wrote on her Instagram Story. “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 then offered her support for Joseph’s wife, Kendra, and their three children, writing, “As a family, we are pulling together to support Kendra and her kids during this difficult time.”
However, the message appeared to be deleted soon thereafter.
On Friday, March 20, the Tontitown Police Department announced (via People) that Kendra, 27, now faces charges alongside her husband. Both Joseph and Kendra face four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree as well as four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree.
According to People, Kendra was arrested and booked into the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and released on March 20, according to jail records. It is unclear if Jessa deleted her message upon learning the news of the additional charges.
Last week, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida announced in a Facebook post on March 18 that “Bay County investigators were contacted by a detective with the Tontitown Police Department regarding a report of past sexual abuse.”
The sheriff’s office said a 14-year-old victim disclosed “several incidents” involving Joseph that allegedly took place on a family vacation in Panama City Beach in Florida when she was 9 in 2020.
The father of four — who married Kendra in September 2017 — made his first court appearance via Zoom on March 20 and waived his right to an extradition hearing, paving the way for him to be extradited to Florida.
Joseph’s brother, Josh Duggar, was arrested on April 29, 2021, for receiving and possessing child pornography. He was found guilty on all charges and is currently behind bars.