Jill Duggar Breaks Silence On Brother Josh Duggar's Conviction In Child Pornography Trial

Jill Duggar is speaking out after her brother Josh Duggar was found guilty in his child sexual abuse material case Thursday.

In a statement posted to her and husband Derick Dillard's blog Thursday, the former "Counting On" star began, "Today was difficult for our family. Our hearts go out to the victims of child abuse or any kind of exploitation."

She went on to thank law enforcement, including investigators, forensic analysts, prosecutors and others who "save kids and hold accountable those responsible for their abuse."

The reality star added that the people of the Western District of Arkansas made it clear that "nobody is above the law" with their verdict in her brother's trial.

Jill expressed the feeling that 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."

She also mentioned Josh's wife Anna and their seven children, whom she said are suffering the fallout of her brother's actions.

"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," the statement concluded.

Jill and her sister Jessa Seewald Duggard previously came forward as two of Josh's victims after reports surfaced in 2015 that Josh had molested five underage girls when he was a teenager in 2002. Josh issued an apology and resigned from his position at the Family Research Council as a result of the accusations becoming public, but he was not charged at the time.

Meanwhile, Josh's parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, broke their silence Thursday after the guilty verdict.

In a statement, the Duggar family patriarch and matriarch said the whole ordeal "has been very grievous." They offered prayers to the victims of child sexual abuse and said they will continue to support Josh's wife and children.

"In the days ahead, we will do all we can to surround our daughter-in-law Anna and their children with love and support. 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," the couple wrote.

Josh was accused of downloading files depicting child sexual abuse in May 2019 on the computer at his then-workplace, a used car lot in Arkansas. He pleaded not guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

After he was found guilty on both charges Thursday, his attorneys told E! News that they plan to appeal. "We appreciate the jury's lengthy deliberations... We respect the jury's verdict, and we intend to appeal," his lawyers said.

Josh faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines for each count. His sentencing is expected in four months, but a date hasn't been scheduled pending a pre-sentence investigation.