Former TLC star Joseph Duggar was arrested on March 18 after being accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020.
His arrest marks the second child sex abuse case to hit the famous family following Joseph’s older brother Josh Duggar‘s child pornography conviction. Josh was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison in December 2021.
The Duggar family rose to fame through their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, which premiered in 2008. The series followed Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar as they raised their children: Josh, twins Jana and John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn and Josie.
Joseph married wife Kendra Duggar in September 2017, and they share four children: Garrett David, born in June 2018, Addison Renee, born in November 2019, Brooklyn Praise, born in February 2021, and Justus Joseph, born in February 2022.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Joseph’s arrest so far:
Was Joseph Duggar Arrested?
Joseph Duggar was arrested at approximately 3 p.m. on March 18 by the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas. Authorities obtained a warrant from Bay County, where the alleged incident took place, according to a press release from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
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What Are the Charges Against Joseph Duggar?
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office press release outlines two charges against Joseph Duggar. The first: lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old. The second: lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
Who Filed Accusations Against Joseph Duggar?
The alleged victim is a 14-year-old girl, and the alleged incident occurred in 2020 — roughly six years before his arrest. Joseph Duggar allegedly sexually abused the girl during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9 years old.
“The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,” Bay City police shared 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.”
The victim told a detective from Arkansas’s Tontitown Police Department in a forensic interview that there were “several instances of sexual abuse” involving Joseph, according to the affidavit obtained by Us. Joseph was 25 years old at the time, while his wife, Kendra Duggar, was pregnant with their third baby.
The accuser recalled feeling “uncomfortable” and “confused” during the incidents. Joseph “eventually approached the victim and apologized for his actions,” at which time “the incidents stopped occurring,” according to the affidavit.
Physical evidence was collected during the investigation into Joseph, the affidavit revealed.
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Has Joseph Duggar Spoken Out Following His Arrest?
There has been no statement from Joseph Duggar or his legal representation. His wife, Kendra Duggar, has not yet addressed his arrest or her own.
Has Joseph Duggar Appeared in Court?
Joseph Duggar appeared in court virtually on March 20. He did not enter a plea and waived his right to an extradition hearing. The reality TV alum is currently awaiting extradition to Florida, which began on March 27.
What Are the Charges Against Joseph Duggar and His Wife Kendra Duggar?
Joseph Duggar and wife Kendra Duggar were each charged on March 20 with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree. Following Joseph’s arrest earlier that month for his child molestation case, Kendra was arrested, booked and subsequently released after paying a $1,470 bond the same day.
“After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there,” a source exclusively told Us of Kendra’s arrest, noting it had “nothing” to do with Joseph’s alleged actions. “Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside. They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids.”
Physical Evidence Collected in Joseph Duggar’s Child Molestation Case
Has Anyone Visited Joseph Duggar in Jail?
Joseph Duggar’s attorney has been the sole person to visit him in Washington County Correctional Facility, Page Six reported on March 27. No family members have visited Joseph, according to the outlet.
Joseph has had contact with his wife, Kendra Duggar, over the phone. “I’ve been spending a lot of time reading, uh, reading the Bible, they got me a Bible in here,” Joseph told Kendra during a phone call from the detention center obtained by People on March 27. “I’m in solitary [confinement].”
He claimed he was spending 23 hours a day in the room. “[It’s a] pretty small area, but I’ve been able to read a lot actually, and resting some, but I’m not sleeping great through the night,” Joseph added.
Is Joseph Duggar Still in an Arkansas Jail?
Us confirmed that Joseph Duggar was transferred from the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 27. He was held there for nine days while waiting to be extradited to Florida.
As of March 30, Joseph’s whereabouts were unknown as he had not yet been listed as being in the custody of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).
Joseph Duggar Extradited to Florida
After being transferred out of the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on March 27, Us confirmed that Joseph Duggar is in custody at the Bay County Jail in Florida as of March 31.
A new mugshot was also released on March 31 and showed Joseph smirking with messy hair.
Joseph Duggar Enters Not Guilty Plea, Appears in Court
Joseph Duggar entered a written not guilty plea and requested a jury trial on March 29, Us confirmed via online records.
Joseph appeared in court for his arraignment in Florida on March 31. During the hearing, his lawyer stated that Joseph was “asking to be treated as fairly as anyone else, regardless of his status in the television industry” and that his family is “asking for the most reasonable bond,” according to Page Six.
“He has no criminal history whatsoever,” the lawyer added.
Meanwhile, a prosecutor from the State Attorney’s Office stated that the allegations made against Joseph are “a serious charge against the child.”
“We ask there be a no contact in place with the victim, as well as no contact with any minors,” the prosecutor continued. “While he doesn’t have a criminal history and no ties to the community … he was on vacation and stayed here a short period of time … We ask for a substantial bond.”
The judge set Joseph’s bond at $600,000. Additionally, the reality TV personality was ordered to have “no contact with the alleged victim” and “no unsupervised contact with any minors under the age of 18.”
