Long-time Duggar family friend and presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has finally broken his silence on the latest Duggar family scandal, saying he was "sickened" by the child molestation accusations slapped on Josh.

Speaking on "Good Morning America," Santorum said, "I was sickened by it. I was just sickened by it. I pray for those girls in particular...to have gone through that, it's hard to think about."

His statement was quite the opposite of what fellow Republican presidential bet Mike Huckabee said earlier about Josh's past actions. Huckabee defended the eldest Duggar son, saying his actions might have been "inexcusable," but that does not mean it is "unforgivable."

"He and his family dealt with it and were honest and open about it with the victims and the authorities," Huckabee wrote on his Facebook page. "No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story. Good people make mistakes and do regrettable and even disgusting things."

Huckabee went on to explain that the reason why the law protects the actions of minor is that "the society has traditionally understood something that today's blood-thirsty media does not understand – that being a minor means that one's judgment is not mature," he said.

The fact that Josh confessed his sins and sought help is a sign of responsibility and humility, he said, calling the people who disclosed the report as "insensitive." He said those who sought to discredit the Duggars did not even show any consideration to the victims who might have wanted to keep the information in the past.

The Duggar family has presented a united front amid the scandal, with even Josh's wife Anna, who is currently carrying their fourth child – a daughter – saying that her husband has already humbled himself before God.