Joseph Duggar Arrested, Facing Child Sex Abuse Charges

19 Kids and Counting alum Joseph Garrett Duggar has been arrested and is facing charges after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl, Us Weekly can confirm.

Duggar, 31, was arrested by the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas at approximately 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, after they obtained a warrant from Bay County, where the alleged incident took place. 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, according to a press release from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

Per the press release, Bay County investigators were contacted by a detective from the Tontitown Police Department about a report of past sexual abuse.

The detective conducted an interview with an alleged 14-year-old victim who claimed to have had several incidents involving Duggar during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9 years old back in 2020. The girl claimed that Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap. She also alleged that Duggar asked her to sit on the couch next to him and “grazed her genitals” while under a blanket.

The victim told authorities that “Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”

Investigators stated that the alleged victim’s father confronted Duggar on Tuesday, March 17. Duggar allegedly admitted his actions to the victim’s father and to Tontitown detectives, per the press release.

Duggar is awaiting extradition to Bay County.

Us Weekly has reached out to the Duggar family for comment.

Joseph is best known for appearing on his family reality series 19 Kids and Counting which starred his parents, Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar, as well as their 19 children. In addition to Joseph, Jim Bob and Michelle share Josh, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace, and Josie.

Joseph is currently married to wife Kendra Duggar. The couple wed in 2017 and share four children: sons Garrett and Justus, as well as daughters Addison Renee and Brooklyn.

Joseph’s arrest comes amid older brother Josh’s own legal troubles. He reportedly confessed in 2015 to molesting multiple young girls, including sisters Jill and Jessa Duggar, when he was a teenager.

In 2022, Josh was convicted on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. He was ordered to spend nearly 12 years in federal prison. He will also serve 20 years of supervised release, register as a sex offender and pay $50,000 in fines. Josh has maintained his innocence and appealed his case to the Supreme Court, which was denied in 2024. (Josh has since hired R Kelly‘s former lawyer Beau B. Brindle to revisit his appeal.)