Joseph Duggar is facing charges after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl while on vacation in 2020.
On Wednesday (March 18), the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas announced that the 31-year-old former 19 Kids and Counting star was arrested and charged with Lewd and Lascivious Behavior, involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Joseph is now awaiting extradition to Bay County to face the charges. He was booked into the Washington County jail on Wednesday afternoon, People confirmed.
Keep reading to find out more…Joseph was charged in connection with a child sexual abuse case involving a then-9-year-old girl, who was on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach, Florida in 2020.
The alleged sexual abuse occurred when Joseph allegedly asked the victim to sit on his lap.
“As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,” Bay County Sheriff’s Office said. “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 stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology,” the office added.
The arrest was a result of the now-14-year-old victim participating in a forensic interview regarding a report of past sexual abuse. The victim’s father confronted Joseph about the incidents and the former TLC star “allegedly admitted his actions to the father and Tontitown detectives.”
Joseph‘s arrest comes his older brother Josh Duggar was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography in 2022. He was first arrested in 2021.
Josh, who has maintained his innocence, was ultimately sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, his sentence has since been extended.
If you didn’t know, Joseph has been married to wife Kendra since 2017 and they share son Garrett, born in 2018, and daughters Addison, born in 2019, and Brooklyn, born in 2021. They seemingly have a fourth child, though they have no publicly confirmed.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
