{"id":2339240,"date":"2026-03-20T21:24:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2339240"},"modified":"2026-03-20T21:24:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T21:24:56","slug":"joseph-duggar-slammed-by-sheriff-after-molestation-arrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/joseph-duggar-slammed-by-sheriff-after-molestation-arrest\/","title":{"rendered":"Joseph Duggar Slammed by Sheriff After Molestation Arrest"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bay County, Florida sheriff Tommy Ford<\/strong> has condemned Joseph Garrett Duggar<\/strong> following the 19 Kids and Counting<\/em> star\u2019s arrest on child molestation charges<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe work, unfortunately, way too many of these types of cases, and I don\u2019t care if he\u2019s got a TV show, or who he is, or what he\u2019s done, he\u2019s committed an illegal act, and he\u2019s going to be held accountable for that,\u201d Sheriff Ford, 57, told Florida TV station WJHG<\/a> on Thursday, March 19.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Per Bay County police, who issued the warrant, the victim told an investigator that Duggar \u201crepeatedly asked her to sit on his lap\u201d during a 2020 family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, when she was 9 years old.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Joseph Duggar Arrest Footage Released After Child Molestation Charges<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tFootage from Joseph Duggar\u2018s arrest for unlawful sexual activity with a minor has been released. A video shows Duggar, 31, being processed on Wednesday, March 18, at Arkansas\u2019 Washington County Jail. Us Weekly obtained\u00a0footage showing Duggar in a gray long-sleeve shirt, black pants and sneakers as he was escorted by a police officer to get [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201c[Dugger] also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,\u201d Bay County police said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cDuring this time, Duggar manipulated the victim\u2019s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.\u201d<\/p>\n

A police statement mentioned that Duggar allegedly apologized and confessed when he was confronted by the victim\u2019s father on Tuesday, March 17.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The sheriff added that it could take \u201cone to two weeks\u201d before Duggar is extradited to Florida and booked into the Bay County jail. The Counting On<\/em> alum appeared in court via Zoom<\/a> on Thursday, March 20, where he waived his right to an extradition hearing.\n<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Corey Jenison<\/strong>, Chief of the Tontitown Police Department, told People<\/em><\/a> that Joseph \u2014 who shares four children with his wife Kendra Duggar<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 could face additional charges in Arkansas because \u201cthere is still an open investigation being conducted.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Joseph Garrett Duggar mugshot<\/span> Tontitown Police Department<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 19 Kids and Counting<\/em> star\u2019s arrest has seemingly divided the deeply religious Duggar family. Joseph\u2019s cousin, Amy King<\/strong> (n\u00e9e Duggar), spoke out<\/a> to say she was \u201csickened, heartbroken and deeply angry\u201d after learning of her relative\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust,\u201d King, 39, told Us Weekly<\/em> in a statement on Friday. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

King admitted that while she was \u201cutterly shocked to hear about these allegations and Joseph\u2019s arrest,\u201d she was \u201cnot surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, I have spoken out about the importance of truth, accountability and protecting children, even when it meant going against my own family,\u201d she continued. \u201cFamily 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Joseph\u2019s older brother, Josh Duggar<\/strong>, released a statement of support<\/a> 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.)<\/p>\n

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