Joseph Duggar's wife Kendra tells him his family is 'disappointed' but still 'love him' in jail call... amid molestation charges

Kendra Duggar last week carried on a surprisingly-upbeat discussion with her embattled husband Joseph, informing him the family had mixed feelings in the wake of his molestation arrest.

The audio was taken from a call between the spouses at Fayetteville, Arkansas' Washington County Jail last Thursday, and published Tuesday by TMZ. 

'Just know that everybody loves you - even if they're disappointed,' Kendra, 27, told Joseph, 31, following his arrest in connection with allegations he touched a nine-year-old girl on her genitals and underwear in Florida during a 2020 vacation.

She told her husband 'That's how things are,' to which he responded, 'Oh, I understand - I understand the disappointment.'

Kendra then reassured him, 'Just understand that they love you, too,' to which Joseph said, 'Oh, yeah, absolutely, I feel that - I'm not upset or anything like that.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for the Duggar family for further comment on the story. 

On the call, Kendra pointed to the devout Baptist family's strong sense of faith as a place she and her spouse can turn to amid the turbulent times.

'God is gonna get us through this one day at a time,' Kendra said.

Kendra, who is mother to four children with her spouse, alluded to how she misses her husband's presence at home since he's been behind bars.

'Every time I look up the staircase I melt into a puddle, so we've decided to take it one day at a time, one moment at a time ... hopefully, you can do that, too,' she said.

The audio was released amid news Joseph Duggar posted $600,000 bond Tuesday and was headed from Florida to his native Arkansas, according to the AP.

Duggar is prohibited from unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18 by Judge Brantley Clark, according to legal docs. He is due back in court on April 20.

Duggar appeared before a judge on Tuesday morning, where he requested a jury trial. His lawyer Albert Sauline, who is representing him in Florida, said that his team's 'number one goal is to make sure he is treated fairly,' according to the AP. 

Also on Tuesday, Duggar was seen smirking in a new mug shot, the second he's posed for after an underage accuser detailed shocking molestation claims to a detective, leading to his arrest.

The Daily Mail can confirm that two days before his court appearance, Duggar submitted a written plea of not guilty to all charges, waived arraignment on those charges and demanded a jury trial, in a document signed by his attorney.

His wife Kendra was taken into custody earlier this month in Tontitown and charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, as well as four charges of second-degree false imprisonment. Joseph is now also facing the same charges.

Kendra was released on bond about 90 minutes after her booking, while Joseph had signed an extradition waiver to face charges in Florida, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Days ago, it emerged that Joseph's accuser, who is currently 14, alleged she suffered 'several incidents of sexual abuse' when she was nine-years-old on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, according to the affidavit obtained by the Daily Mail. 

She made the claims in a forensic interview she gave to a detective with the Tontitown Police Department, per an affidavit written by Deputy Sheriff Darrell Norris of the Bay County Sheriff's Office in Lynn Haven, Florida.

At the time of the Florida vacation described in the document, Joseph and Kendra had two children and she was pregnant with their third. 

Joseph's accuser told a detective that during the Florida vacation, she 'would sit on the defendant’s lap' and he would 'cradle [her] with his arms,' the affidavit states.

As the holiday progressed, Joseph's behavior is said to have evolved, according to the underage girl's account of events as relayed in the legal document.

Joseph is claimed to have requested that she 'sit on the couch beside [him],' whereupon he supposedly 'covered the parties with a blanket,' per the affidavit.

The document adds: 'Once the parties were covered, the defendant would pull the victim’s dress up and touch the victim’s thighs.'

The accuser also asserted that 'during these incidents [Joseph's] hand grazed [her] vagina' and his 'hand was outside of her underwear' - an occurrence she said took place 'several times,' leaving her 'confused' and 'uncomfortable.'

Joseph's accuser also said he 'eventually approached the victim and apologized for his actions' and then 'the incidents stopped occurring,' the affidavit claims.

After the underage girl gave her forensic interview to the Arkansas detective, Deputy Sheriff Darrell Norris in Florida - the officer who wrote the affidavit - 'requested the detective and victim’s father call Joseph' in order to obtain a confession from him.

The affidavit claims that during the call, Joseph 'admitted his actions, stating he touched the victim over her clothing' and 'admitted his intentions were not pure.' 

According to the authorities, a judge signed off on an affidavit that included the contents of that phone conversation, whereupon an arrest warrant was issued to the Bay County Sheriff's Office in Florida.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office then apparently sent the warrant to the police in Arkansas, leading to Joseph's arrest in Tontitown. 

Joseph was taken into custody last week in connection with lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a statement from the Bay County Sheriff's Office in Lynn Haven, Florida announced.

An investigator with the Tontitown Police Department in Tontitown, Arkansas reached out to the BCSO 'regarding a report of past sexual abuse,' as an alleged victim, identified as a 14-year-old girl, told law enforcement about a series of inappropriate incidents Duggar was involved in around five years back, police said.

Authorities said then that the alleged incidents occurred in 2020, when the alleged victim was nine-years-old and on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach, Florida.

The 19 Kids And Counting star is now facing additional charges including four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment, the Tontitown Police Department told TMZ. 

Duggar and Kendra's new charges in Arkansas are reportedly not related to his case in the state of Florida. 

Family members have since broken silence on his arrest, such as brother Josh - who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography. 

His attorney told the Daily Mail: 'Josh understands the stigma of being accused.

'He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life. He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.' 

The attorney said that the brothers 'are not in frequent communication' but Josh 'hopes and prays for his brother's well-being in this difficult time.' 

His sister Jill has also spoken out by uploading a post to her family blog which she shares with husband Derick Dillard. 

'We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill's brother's [Joseph Duggar's] arrest,' the message read. 

'We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph's arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. 

'We are shocked and heartbroken.' 

They added, 'We strongly condemn abuse. We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. 

'Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family.

'We pray God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead.' 

Jill and Derick also sent love to Kendra and her four children while praying 'that they feel loved and supported during this time as we cannot imagine the indescribable pain they feel as they process and grieve everything.'

His cousin Amy Duggar also recently broke her silence to share she was 'utterly shocked' but 'not surprised' over his arrest. 

She said in a statement to People on Friday: 'In light of the recent allegations involving my cousin, Joseph Duggar, I am sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry.' 

Amy added, 'My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust.

'The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated. That bravery deserves to be honored above all else.'

And while she was 'utterly shocked' over the allegations, Amy expressed that she is 'not surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.'

Amy told the outlet that she has 'worked hard to break cycles in both my extended family and my immediate family.'

She sent prayers to the alleged victim while adding, 'Recognizing that we do not yet know the full picture, I am also praying for Joseph's wife, Kendra, as she begins to process this, and for the protection of their children. 

'I'm praying for eyes to be opened and above all, I pray that justice will be served to the fullest.'

For those who have been impacted by sexual abuse, text 'STRENGTH' to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.