Joseph Garrett Duggar, the former "19 Kids and Counting" star, was arrested Wednesday, March 18, in Arkansas and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving sexual activity with a minor in Florida, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
He is 31 years old. Two days later, the Tontitown Police Department announced that both Joseph and his wife, Kendra Duggar, 27, face four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of false imprisonment in Arkansas.
Joseph Duggar remains held without bail at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He is expected to be extradited to Florida to face his charge there. Police have issued a warrant for Kendra Duggar's arrest on the Arkansas counts.
The Bay County Sheriff's Office said the Florida charge stems from alleged conduct during a 2020 family vacation in Panama City Beach. According to the sheriff's office, a forensic interview was conducted with the child, now 14, who was nine years old at the time of the alleged incident. The child disclosed several moments involving Joseph Duggar during that vacation, the sheriff's office said.
In one instance, Duggar allegedly asked the child repeatedly to sit on his lap, according to the sheriff's office. In another alleged incident, the sheriff's office said he manipulated the child's underwear and made inappropriate contact while on a couch and under a blanket. The child said she received an apology from Duggar and that no other incidents occurred, according to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff said the child's father confronted Duggar about the alleged incidents on March 17. According to the sheriff, Duggar then admitted to his actions to law enforcement in Tontitown. Local police arrested him shortly after.
The Arkansas charges announced by the Tontitown Police Department on Friday, March 20, apply to both Joseph and Kendra Duggar. Each faces four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of false imprisonment. Authorities have not publicly detailed the specific conduct underlying those Arkansas counts. No court, case number, or presiding judge has been publicly identified for either the Arkansas or Florida proceedings.
USA TODAY stated it could not determine an attorney representing Joseph or Kendra Duggar at the time of its publication and had reached out to the Duggar family and the Washington County Sheriff's Office for comment. No plea has been publicly entered by either defendant.
This is not the first time serious criminal allegations have struck the Duggar family. Joseph Duggar was the seventh of 19 children featured on the TLC series "19 Kids and Counting." That show was canceled in 2015 following revelations that the oldest sibling, Josh Duggar, had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter when he was a teenager. Josh Duggar also admitted to infidelity and issued a public apology that same year.
Josh Duggar was arrested for possession of child pornography in 2021, convicted later that year, and sentenced in 2022 to more than 12 years in prison. TLC's spinoff "Counting On" ran for 11 seasons before it, too, was canceled following Josh's 2021 arrest. In 2023, a four-part docuseries titled "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets" explored revelations about the family, including their involvement with the Institute for Basic Life Principles.
Jill Duggar Dillard, Joseph's sister, addressed his arrest in a blog post, writing that the family is "shocked and heartbroken." She added a pointed statement of principle.
"We strongly condemn abuse."
Dillard continued with a longer statement directed at the child and her family.
"We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. We pray God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead."
Dillard's own history with family trauma is well documented in public statements. She previously said she felt obligated to defend her brother Josh. In 2020, she revealed there was "some distancing" between herself and her family amid disagreements, but added they were working toward healing and restoration.
Joseph Duggar's immediate path leads to extradition proceedings to transfer him from Arkansas to Bay County, Florida, to face the lewd and lascivious behavior charge. No extradition timetable has been made public. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the Arkansas and Florida matters will proceed on parallel tracks or whether one jurisdiction will take priority.
Investigators will need to establish the full scope of the alleged conduct, including whatever evidence underlies the eight Arkansas counts against both Joseph and Kendra Duggar. The forensic interview referenced by the Bay County Sheriff's Office has not been publicly detailed beyond the sheriff's characterization. No additional witnesses or evidence items have been publicly identified.
Two Duggars are now convicted or charged with offenses against children. Josh Duggar sits in federal prison. Joseph Duggar sits in an Arkansas jail without bail. Kendra Duggar has an active warrant. If the legal system built to protect children works the way it should, the only thing that matters now is whether the evidence holds and whether justice moves fast enough for a child who allegedly waited six years for anyone to act.
