Joseph Duggar Slammed Brother Josh Duggar Years Before Sex Abuse Arrest

Joseph Duggar -- who was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sexually abusing an underage girl -- once spoke out against his famous older brother Josh Duggar over accusations of child molestation more than a decade ago.

Back in 2015 ... Joseph weighed in on Josh's misconduct after Josh was accused of inappropriately touching five girls, including his own sisters, Jill and Jessa. Both brothers, of course, starred on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting.”

Joseph commented on the scandal in a clip for TLC's spinoff "Jill & Jessa: Counting On" ... saying, "Whenever somebody you respect the most is willing to get up and proclaim what we believe as Christians, about being true to your wife, you'd never think that that's the person who's involved in it."

Joseph added that he was heartbroken and surprised Josh had been "living such a secret life."

Josh later confessed he "acted inexcusably" and hurt others, including members of his own family and friends. He said he admitted his actions to his family, and that counseling was arranged for both him and those affected.

Josh was not prosecuted for these crimes due to the statute of limitations ... but was later convicted in 2021 of knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography and sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison.

Now, Joseph is facing allegations of his own ... after recently being arrested for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020 while on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. According to police, Joseph repeatedly asked the girl to sit on his lap and touched her genitals, while also rubbing his hands on her thighs.