Jinger Duggar and Husband Jeremy Vuolo Break Silence on 'Devastating' Arrest of Her Brother Joseph: 'I Don't Even Have Words'

Jinger Duggar and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, have spoken out following Joseph Duggar's arrest on child molestation charges.

"It has been such a long week," Jinger, 32, admitted on the Wednesday, March 25, episode of her "Jinger & Jeremy" podcast. "It’s been one of those weeks that feels like years. And I did not think my heart could break like it has this week."

The Counting On alum continued, "The pain and heartbreak that we’ve had over this and just thinking of how it’s affected so many, yeah, it’s just unthinkable. So hard and painful on many levels."

Jeremy, 38, said the news was "devastating to hear" and revealed that he and Jinger were "taking a bit of space this week" to process the situation.

"Thinking about the victim who was brave enough to share her story has been heartbreaking," he continued. "Just the effect on that young person’s life is unimaginable. And then to see the ripple effect of that horrific crime across the board … I think that’s been for me, the forefront of my mind is just thinking [about] the horror of a crime like that affecting so many for so many years. It’s devastating to think about."

The former professional soccer goalkeeper added that the couple has been "praying for the victim," while Jinger declared, "I don’t even have words."

"You can’t be prepared for news like this," the former reality TV star went on. "Even though we’ve experienced something very similar before with one of my other siblings who made unthinkable choices and decisions that have affected all of us. And yet, the pain and hurt that’s caused to us … it’s hard to know what to do sometimes, moving forward. You just feel the weight of it."

Jinger was referring to her older brother Josh's molestation scandal. Josh, 38, confessed to molesting multiple young girls, including his sisters Jill Duggar and Jessa Duggar when they were teenagers.

While he was never arrested or criminally charged for the molestation allegations that first surfaced in 2015, he was later convicted in 2021 on federal charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Joseph, 31, has been charged with molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, it was reported on Wednesday, March 18.

The 19 Kids and Counting alum reportedly had inappropriate contact with a young girl while on vacation in Panama City, Fla., in 2020.

After initially asking the 9-year-old to sit on his lap, Joseph later "asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket," the Bay County Sheriff's Office said. "During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals."

Joseph's wife, Kendra, was arrested on unrelated charges just two days later. She was released the same day after her mother-in-law, Michelle Duggar, bailed her out.

As OK! previously reported, a press release from the Tontitown Police Department said the couple, who share four kids, is now facing 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.

"After his [Joseph's] charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there," a source told Us Weekly on Saturday, March 21. "Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside. They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids."

Joseph remains in custody in Arkansas, but his case is being overseen in Florida, where the alleged incidents took place, so he will eventually be extradited to Bay County to face charges there.