A 2008 Josh Duggar joke about incest among his 18 siblings has resurfaced as allegations of child molestation swirl around the 27-year-old father of three.
The eldest Duggar, who rose to fame along with his family on the TLC show "19 Kids and Counting," acknowledged on Thursday that he sexually molested five underage girls — reportedly including some of his sisters — when he was a teenager in
2002 and 2003, the New York Daily News reported.
"Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,"
he said in a statement to People magazine. "I confessed this to my parents, who took several steps to help me address the situation."
The 2008 video — in which Duggar explains how his siblings Jana and John David had to chaperone his date with then-fiancée Anna — has now taken on decidedly creepy undertones.
“We chose Jana and John David,” Duggar says in the video. “We thought, why not have a double date? We are from Arkansas, no?”
The joke draws into question whether any of the Duggar girls were victims of his abuse.
Following last week's revelation, Duggar resigned from his lobbyist position at the Family Research Council, an organization dedicated to preserving family values, according to People.
Jim Bob Duggar, the family patriarch,
reportedly turned his son into authorities in 2005 after learning of the abuse but, after a chain of events, the statue of limitations expired and Josh Duggar was never prosecuted.
"I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions," Duggar's statement continues. "I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God's grace, mercy and redemption."
TLC has pulled all episodes of the Duggar reality show from its schedule in the wake of the scandal.
“Effective immediately, TLC has pulled all episodes of ‘19 Kids and Counting’ currently from the air,” network officials told the Daily News on Friday. “We are deeply saddened and troubled by this heartbreaking situation, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and victims at this difficult time.”
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