Breaking news!!! Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar abandon their son Joseph after his arrest, focusing solely on ‘helping Kendra and the grandchildren’ (Exclusive information) ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐Ÿ‘‡

Breaking news!!! Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar abandon their son Joseph after his arrest, focusing solely on ‘helping Kendra and the grandchildren’ (Exclusive information) ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐Ÿ‘‡

“Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” a spokesperson for the family says

Joseph Duggar, Michelle Duggar and Jim Bob Duggar appear on NBC News' "Today" show
Joseph Duggar; right: Michelle Duggar and Jim Bob Duggar.Credit :ย TLC; Peter Kramer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

  • Joseph Duggar was arrested March 18 and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old
  • His parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, are “heartbroken,” a spokesperson for the family said March 30
  • “Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” the spokesperson added, referring to Joseph’s wife

Jim Bobย andย Michelle Duggarย are speaking out after the arrest of their sonย Joseph.

Joseph, 31, was arrested on March 18 and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, per Florida’s Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

He allegedly confessed to repeat

edly molesting a 9-year-old girlย in a phone call with the child’s father and a detective with the local police department, according to an affidavit filed by authorities.

He is also facingย additional criminal charges in Arkansas, and a source close to the investigation told PEOPLE the latest charges are unrelated to those in Florida.

A spokesperson for the family tells PEOPLE on Monday, March 30, that Joseph’s parents Jim Bob, 60, and Michelle, 59, are “heartbroken over this entire situation.”

“Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” the spokesperson says, referring to Joseph’s wife,ย Kendra, with whom he has four kids. “They are praying for the victim. They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many.โ€

Joseph Duggar's mugshot.
Joseph Duggar’s mugshot.Washington County Sheriff’s Department

Kendra wasย also arrested and chargedย in Arkansas. A spokesperson for their family previously told PEOPLE the charges filed against Kendra, 27,ย are “totally unrelated” to the felony charges her husbandย is expected to face in Florida.

“Sheโ€™s not suspected or accused of participating in his alleged crime,” the spokesperson said.

She and Joseph both face four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree, in relation to the Arkansas charges, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.

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The Washington County Sheriffโ€™s Officeย said Joseph is no longer in their custody as of March 27. He is not yet listed as being in the custody of the BCSO, as of Monday, March 30.

Kendra is out on bailย following her charges. Both she and Joseph are scheduled to appear in an Arkansas courtroom April 29.

Joseph appeared on all four iterationsย of his family’s TLC reality series franchise beginning when he was 13 onย 19 Kids and Counting. He has been married to Kendra since 2017.

A federalย jury previously convictedย Joseph’s older brother Josh Duggar, 38, of receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Josh wasย sentenced to over 12 years in prison.

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