TLC’s reality show Counting On documented Joseph Duggar courting his wife, Kendra Duggar, years before his arrest on suspicion of child molestation.
Joseph was apprehended by Tontitown police in Arkansas on March 18, 2026, amid allegations that the 19 Kids and Counting alum allegedly sexually abused a 9-year-old girl during a family trip to Florida in 2020.
At the time, he was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, per the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Joseph’s arrest is the latest chapter in a dark decade for the deeply religious Duggar family. In 2015, Joseph’s older brother Josh Duggar publicly apologized for “acting inexcusably” after a police report resurfaced accusations that he had molested five girls, two of whom were his sisters, when he was a teenager. (Josh was later sentenced to 12 years in prison on an unrelated charge of receiving child pornography. He maintains his innocence and is actively appealing his sentence, as of publication.)
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Amid his older brother’s scandal, Joseph married Kendra in September 2017 and they subsequently welcomed four children.
Keep scrolling for more about Joseph’s wife Kendra:
How Did Joseph and Kendra Duggar Meet?
Counting On explored Joseph and Kendra Duggar’s courtship over the years. They originally met in church as teenagers and later officially started courting each other.
An October 2017 Counting On episode showed Joseph asking Kendra’s father, Pastor Paul Caldwell, for his permission to propose.
“I do feel like the Lord is leading in this direction,” Pastor Caldwell told him. “I do want to remind you, you are taking one of my most precious gifts. … You have my wife and my blessing to go further with this.”
Joseph ultimately proposed to Kendra during his sister Joy-Anna Duggar and her husband Austin Forsyth’s wedding reception in May 2017.
“We are so excited to be engaged and look forward to a lifetime together,” the engaged couple wrote on the Duggar family website at the time. “We are so grateful for how the Lord brought us together, and we look forward to this special time of engagement and to some day serving Christ as man and wife.”
When Did Joseph and Kendra Duggar Get Married?
Us Weekly reported in September 2017 that Joseph and Kendra Duggar tied the knot in Arkansas. Kendra’s father, Pastor Paul Caldwell, served as the officiant for the ceremony.
The wedding used navy and blush for its color theme, with Joseph’s parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, as well as several of his siblings in attendance. Joseph’s sisters Jana, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joy-Anna, Johannah and Jennifer reportedly all served as bridesmaids.
Do Joseph and Kendra Duggar Have Children?
Joseph and Kendra Duggar share four children: Garrett David, born in June 2018, Addison Renee, born in November 2019, Brooklyn Praise, born in February 2021, and Justus, born in February 2022.
The couple launched a joint Instagram account – called The Little Duggar Family — in February 2019, where they posted photos of their growing family and life updates.
The Duggars completely stopped updating their family Instagram account following a November 2021 post celebrating their daughter Addison’s 2nd birthday.
“Happy Birthday sweet girl,” Joseph and Kendra wrote to their daughter on November 3, 2021. “We love seeing this girl’s sweet little personality blossom over the last two years! Looking forward to making many more memories.”
Why Was Joseph Duggar Arrested?
Joseph Duggar was arrested by Arkansas’s Tontitown Police Department on March 18, 2026. Local police were reportedly tipped off to a child molestation allegation involving Joseph in Florida.
Florida’s Bay County Police Department confirmed in a statement that Joseph had been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
According to police, a 14-year-old victim spoke to police about sexual abuse allegations that she said took place on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020 when she was 9 years old.
“The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,” Bay City police said in a statement. “As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
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Per the police, Joseph “eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.” As of publication, Joseph is awaiting extradition from Arkansas to Florida.
Has Kendra Duggar Addressed Joseph Duggar’s Arrest?
As of publication, Kendra Duggar has not commented on her husband Joseph Duggar’s arrest.
Us Weekly has reached out for comment.
Was Kendra Duggar Arrested?
Days after Joseph Duggar’s arrest, Us Weekly confirmed that Kendra Duggar was booked amid an ongoing investigation. She and Joseph were both charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, second degree and four counts of second degree false imprisonment. Kendra was later released after paying her bond, which was set at $1470.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
