Joseph Duggar Slammed by Sheriff After Molestation Arrest

Bay County, Florida sheriff Tommy Ford has condemned Joseph Garrett Duggar following the 19 Kids and Counting star’s arrest on child molestation charges.

“We work, unfortunately, way too many of these types of cases, and I don’t care if he’s got a TV show, or who he is, or what he’s done, he’s committed an illegal act, and he’s going to be held accountable for that,” Sheriff Ford, 57, told Florida TV station WJHG on Thursday, March 19.

Duggar, 31, was arrested in Tontitown, Arkansas, on Wednesday, March 18, following a 14-year-old girl coming forward with sexual abuse allegations against him.

Per Bay County police, who issued the warrant, the victim told an investigator that Duggar “repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap” during a 2020 family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, when she was 9 years old.

“[Dugger] also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,” Bay County police said in a statement. “During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”

A police statement mentioned that Duggar allegedly apologized and confessed when he was confronted by the victim’s father on Tuesday, March 17.

Duggar has been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older in Bay County, Florida.

While the victim made her police report in Arkansas, Sheriff Ford confirmed WJHG that the case will fall under his jurisdiction because the alleged crimes occurred in Panama City Beach.

The sheriff added that it could take “one to two weeks” before Duggar is extradited to Florida and booked into the Bay County jail. The Counting On alum appeared in court via Zoom on Thursday, March 20, where he waived his right to an extradition hearing.

Meanwhile, Corey Jenison, Chief of the Tontitown Police Department, told People that Joseph — who shares four children with his wife Kendra Duggar — could face additional charges in Arkansas because “there is still an open investigation being conducted.”

The 19 Kids and Counting star’s arrest has seemingly divided the deeply religious Duggar family. Joseph’s cousin, Amy King (née Duggar), spoke out to say she was “sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry” after learning of her relative’s arrest.

“My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust,” King, 39, told Us Weekly in a statement on Friday. “The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated. That bravery deserves to be honored above all else.”

King admitted that while she was “utterly shocked to hear about these allegations and Joseph’s arrest,” she was “not surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.”

“For years, I have spoken out about the importance of truth, accountability and protecting children, even when it meant going against my own family,” she continued. “Family ties should never equal automatic trust or access, especially when it comes to the safety of children. When an image is protected over truth, and silence is chosen over accountability, it creates an environment where abuse can thrive.”

Meanwhile, Joseph’s older brother, Josh Duggar, released a statement of support from prison, where he is serving a 12-year sentence for receipt and possession of child pornography. (Josh maintains his innocence and is actively appealing his conviction.)

Josh, 38, told the Daily Mail he was “deeply saddened” to hear about the “false accusations” of child molestation leveled against his younger sibling.

“[Josh] lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life,” a statement released on Josh’s behalf read. “He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).