Jill Duggar reacted to the news of her brother, Josh Duggar, being sentenced to 12 years in prison on May 25 after he was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography. A day after Josh was given the 151-months sentence and ordered to pay fines and assessments totaling $50,100, Jill and her husband Derick Dillard took to their Dillard Family blog to reveal they were “thankful” that “justice” was being served.
“We are neither rejoicing nor disappointed by the sentence, but we are thankful it’s finally over,” the couple wrote. “The Bible clearly states that God effects justice and vengeance through the governing authorities. Though some believe Josh should have received a greater sentence and still fewer believe he should have received a lighter sentence, God has carried out his vengeance today for his unspeakable criminal activity.”
Jill, who claimed she was a victim of Josh’s abuse in 2013, went on to say her brother had yet to be held accountable in a means necessary to change his “dangerous pattern of behavior” until now. She and Derick suggested a decade in prison may be Josh’s only chance at rehabilitation. “Hopefully, Josh can actually begin to get treatment and begin to work toward a lifestyle where he is less likely to reoffend,” they added. “If for nothing else, the notoriety of this case has hopefully contributed to the deterrence of potential offenders and will help protect children by decreasing the demand for CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Materials).
Concluding their message, the couple shared, “We continue to love Josh and his family and will be there for them however we can.”
The family blog announcement comes after Jill and Josh’s cousin, Amy (Duggar) King, also spoke out on the sentencing, telling Celebuzz!, “Twelve and a half years isn’t enough, but I hope that every single second he’s there feels like an eternity.” She also took to her Instagram to share a video (below) where she went into more detail about her reaction, saying she can finally “breathe.”
“I knew him getting the maximum sentence wasn’t going to be the easiest to prove since it’s his first offense in the judge’s eyes — which I hate — but at the same time, he cannot have his computer, he cannot hurt, exploit any more children and when he sees his kids, he has to be supervised,” she added. “And honestly, where he’s going, I feel like the prisoners are just gonna take care of him.”
Wednesday’s sentencing came after Josh was found guilty in December of two charges of “receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.” Law enforcement detected the activity during an undercover investigation that ended in Josh being arrested by Homeland Security in April 2021. Following the arrest, TLC cancelled the Duggar family reality show Counting On.