The parents of Josh Duggar have broken their silence. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar gave new details about the molestation scandal that is now surrounding their son.
The patriarch and matriarch of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” appeared on Fox News’ Kelly File to address the scandal: Josh Duggar, as a teenager, fondled five young girls.
“This was not rape or anything like that; this was like touching somebody over their clothes. There was a couple of incidents where he touched them under their clothes, but it was like — a few seconds — and then he came to us and was crying and told us what happened,” said Josh Duggar’s father Jim Duggar.
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar say it kept happening.
“We were devastated and then we said, we’ve got to send him out of the home. He has got to go,” said Josh’s mother Michelle Duggar.
The Duggars explained most of the victims were family members.
“Four of the victims were Josh Duggar’s sisters. It’s hard to even say out loud,” said Brian Stelter, Host of CNN’s Reliable Sources.
“I think for some fans, this is going to sound like a really significant apology, but to many people this was minimizing something that was very horrific,” said Stelter.
The scandal came to light in juvenile records that were released to a tabloid magazine.
On Wednesday, Jim Bob Duggar questioned why there hasn’t been more attention focused on that leak. He says the information was released illegally — violating the privacy of the victims.
