Kendra Duggar’s family has addressed the s**ual a**ault accusations made by a nine-year-old girl against their son-in-law, the 19 Kids and Counting star, Joseph Duggar.
Joseph allegedly violated the girl in 2020 while they were on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida.
He was arrested on April 18, 2026, after the victim’s father confronted him in his home city of Arkansas, where he reportedly admitted his wrongdoing in front of a local detective.
Highlights
- Joseph was arrested on April 18, 2026, in connection with alleged inappropriate conduct with a minor dating back to 2020.
- His wife Kendra’s family called the victim “courageous” for speaking out about her experience.
- Despite her family expressing dismay with Joseph, Kendra remains on good terms with him.
Kendra’s family has called the victim, now 14, “courageous” for going public with her experience.
Joseph Duggar’s in-laws rallied behind the minor, who accused him of misbehaving with her
Image credits: TLC
The girl sat for a forensic interview with a detective from Arkansas’s Tontitown Police Department on the same day the former reality star was arrested.
Image credits: TLC
According to a copy of the affidavit for an arrest warrant, Joseph allegedly began by asking the girl “to sit on his lap.”
He then progressed to asking her to “sit on the couch beside him” and covered both of them “with a blanket.”
“Once the parties were covered, the defendant would pull the victim’s dress up and touch the victim’s thighs,” the affidavit stated.
While this was happening, the girl said that “[Joseph’s] hand grazed [her] v**ina.”
Kendra Duggar’s family, in a message shared on Instagram on Wednesday, April 15, said they were “both troubled and heartbroken over the alleged actions committed by [their] son-in-law” and “devastated for the young girl.”
Calling the victim “courageous in every way” for sharing her truth, they added that they would “stand by her” and continue to support her as the case proceeds.
“Our love for this child remains at the forefront of our family’s priorities and minds. We are proud of her for being strong enough to share her story while also retaining her own identity and joy,” the family wrote in what they said would be their only statement on the matter.
Image credits: thecaldwellfamily
They also noted that they “recognize how traumatic this incident has been for our grandchildren” and that their “love for them and our daughter Kendra remains.”
Joseph and Kendra have been married since September 2017 and share four children.
Some social media users speculated that the victim may belong to Kendra’s family
Image credits: thecaldwellfamily
“If it happened on a family vacation, I am sure it was one of Kendra’s younger sisters,” one user wrote.
“Of course, they stand by the girl. She is their own,” another added.
“He mo**sted her [Kendra’s] sister, and she continues to stay with him?” a third asked.
“I pray she opens her eyes,” another commented.
Image credits: TLC
One user, however, questioned the victim’s parents, writing: “Why did they not teach their daughter not to sit on any man’s lap? At 9 years old, I wouldn’t have been under a blanket with any male. I was taught, and I have taught my children.”
Another remarked, “She trusted him enough to sit with him,” again suggesting the victim was a family member.
While Kendra Duggar’s family expressed dismay over Joseph’s alleged behavior, the pair appears to remain on good terms
Image credits: littleduggarfamily
Soon after his arrest, Joseph Duggar was charged with lewd and lascivious mo**station of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
Despite that, he and Kendra reportedly exchanged romantic messages while he was held at the Washington County Detention Facility.
Joseph first reached out to his wife via email on March 23, writing, “Hopefully this finds you well. Love you, sweetie! <3 <3 <3 Love you to the moon and back.”
Kendra replied within hours: “I got your message! I love you!! Hang in there.”
The next day, their emails referenced a phone call they had, with Joseph writing, “Great talking with you today! I always love getting to hear your voice! Hope you have a wonderful day.”
Image credits: TLC
“Psalm 54, that’s the one I am praying over each of you and replacing the personal pronouns with your name! That passage has brought me great comfort,” he mentioned, adding, “All of the Psalms that have meant a lot to me are 8, 18, 54, 86, 91, 119, and 139. Listen to them if you get a chance.”
“Love you!!” Kendra replied.
Image credits: Washington County Sheriff's Department
She then sent him the lyrics to the Megan Woods song titled The Truth, which includes the lyrics “I don’t belong to the lies / I belong to you” and “When I look in the mirror, and I am not sure / Lord I don’t wanna listen to the lies anymore.”
Joseph entered a not guilty plea in court on March 31, contradicting his earlier admission of wrongdoing.
He was released from prison the same day after posting a $600,000 bond.
As a condition of his release, he is prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with minors, including his own children.
"Kendra is either brainwashed or is being threatened by the Duggars to stay," a netizen said
