Reality TV star Joseph Duggar was arrested in Arkansas on March 18 on allegations of violating a minor six years ago.
Joseph Duggar is the seventh child and the third son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, the star couple of the TLC reality show, 19 Kids and Counting, and its spin-off, Counting On.
Authorities have now collected physical evidence and a witness statement from the victim, according to the affidavit for an arrest warrant filed by Deputy Sheriff Darrell Norris of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) in Florida.
Highlights
- Joseph Duggar was arrested after a minor accused him of taking advantage of her on multiple occasions.
- Authorities have gathered physical evidence pertaining to the allegations, along with the girl’s witness statement.
- Joseph is facing separate charges for child endangerment in connection with his wife, Kendra Dugga’s, arrest.
“That’s wholly unsurprising but still horrifying,” one user wrote.
Joseph Duggar was accused of taking advantage of a minor multiple times
Image credits: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Joseph Duggar allegedly first confessed his crime to the accuser’s father on the night of March 17, according to the affidavit obtained by People Magazine.
The next day, the victim gave her statement in a forensic interview with a detective from the Tontitown Police Department (TPD) in Arkansas, where the Duggars live.
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The victim, now 14, claimed that Joseph m*lested her on several occasions during a family trip to Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020.
Joseph was 25 years old at the time, and his wife, Kendra Duggar, was pregnant with their third child.
The victim said in her statement that Joseph allegedly made her sit on his lap numerous times and cradled her with his arms.
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As the vacation went on, the nature of the violations began to change, the girl claimed. Joseph allegedly started asking her to sit on the couch beside him before covering 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 read. Joseph’s hand “grazed [her] v*gina” from “outside of her underwear.”
Image credits: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
The incidents made the accuser feel “uncomfortable” and “confused.”
Joseph "eventually approached the victim and apologized for his actions," after which the incidents stopped occurring.
Joseph Duggar admitted “his intentions were not pure” with the minor
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After the girl was interviewed by the TPD, the transcript was shared with the BCSO because the incident occurred in their jurisdiction.
Upon hearing the details, the BCSO requested that the victim’s father and the TPD detective who interviewed the girl call Joseph. The two agreed.
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Over the phone call, Joseph “admitted his actions, stating he touched the victim over her clothing,” according to the affidavit.
He further revealed that “his intentions were not pure” with the girl.
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The contents of the phone call and the girl’s interview were included in the BCSO's affidavit. The arrest warrant was then signed by a judge before being sent to the TPD, which subsequently took Joseph into custody.
The nature of the physical evidence collected by the police has not been revealed.
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Joseph is currently in the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. He is expected to be extradited to Florida, where he will face two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior for the m*lestation of a victim less than 12 years old and for conduct committed by a person 18 years or older.
He is also facing separate charges in Arkansas related to his wife’s arrest.
Kendra Duggar was arrested for allegedly locking her children in a room
Image credits: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Kendra, 27, was arrested on March 20, two days after Joseph was detained, for endangering the safety of their kids.
The couple has three kids whose names and birth years were made public — Garrett David, born in 2018, Addison Renee, born in 2019, and Brooklyn Praise, born in 2021 — and a fourth child sometime after that.
Joseph and Kendra were charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment each for the case.
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A source told US Weekly that Kendra was arrested after detectives found evidence of child negligence during a visit to their residence. They allegedly removed the kids from the premises when they detained her.
“Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside,” the insider said. “They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids.”
Image credits: littleduggarfamily
The source confirmed that Kendra’s detention and subsequent charges were unrelated to Joseph’s m*lestation arrest.
“It is ridiculous as the media reports imply she’s involved in Joseph’s alleged crime,” they said. “Totally unrelated and a harsh response.”
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Kendra was bailed out hours later by her mother-in-law, Michelle.
As Bored Panda previously reported, Michelle was later filmed having a heated argument with a person claiming to be a member of the press, who asked her about Joseph and Kendra’s arrests.
“You cannot be here,” Michelle said to the individual. “You are interfering with children… Shame on you!”
"Throw the whole family away." Netizens were furious over the violation allegations against Joseph Duggar
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