One day after his brother-in-law Josh Duggar was convicted of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material, Ben Seewald (Jessa Duggar‘s husband) addressed the verdict via Twitter.
“From the moment we learned of this case against Josh we have prayed that God would cause the truth to be made known, no matter what it was, and that the facts would be followed wherever they led,” he began his post.
“We are grieved beyond words over the children exploited and abused in child sexual abuse material, and we are thankful for our justice system in its punishment of such evils,” Ben continued. “Our hearts break for Josh’s family and we ask your continued prayers for them in the unfathomable grief and pain they are enduring.”
Jill and Derick Dillard posted their own statement on Thursday evening, sharing how they “have been lied to so much that we wanted to hear the evidence for ourselves in court. After seeing all the evidence as it was presented, 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 Dillards continued.
“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. 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,” they concluded.
Josh, 33, was arrested back in April and pleaded not guilty to the charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. And after an eight-day trial, the jury found him guilty on both counts.
Josh is facing up to 20 years of imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines. His sentencing is expected in four months. A date has yet to be announced.
Jim Bob, 56, and his wife Michelle also spoke on their son’s verdict after it was announced.
“In the days ahead, we will do all we can to surround our daughter-in-law Anna and their children with love and support,” they wrote in part.
“As parents, we will never stop praying for Joshua, and loving him, as we do all of our children. In each of life’s circumstances, we place our trust in God. He is our source of strength and refuge. Thank you for your prayers.”
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