Reality TV’s Joseph Duggar accused of molesting child

Arkansas authorities arrested Joseph Duggar Wednesday afternoon on charges of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. He is known for appearing on a reality TV series that featured his family. A local sheriff’s office arrested the 31-year-old on behalf of the Bay County Sheriff’s office, the Florida panhandle municipality that is investigating the alleged abuse. Joseph admitted to the allegations to local police after being confronted by the victim's father days before the arrest, according to Bay County. He is presumed legally innocent until proven guilty.

The Duggar family rose to fame in the mid-2010s from the hit TLC reality TV show, 19 Kids and Counting, that showcased their fundamental Christian lifestyle. The network canceled the show in 2015 after 10 seasons, following reports that the family’s oldest son, Josh, had molested four of his sisters as a teenager. That other sibling, Josh Duggar, is now in prison after a 2021 federal conviction of receiving and possessing child pornography.

What is known about the allegations against Joseph? The Bay County, Fla., Sheriff’s office charged Joseph with lewd and lascivious behavior and molestation of a minor, according to the sheriff’s office. The alleged abuse took place in 2020 in Florida. The now-14-year-old girl told police during a forensic interview that Joseph touched her inappropriately several times when she was 9 years old, the sheriff's office said. The girl recalled Joseph later apologizing for his conduct, after which the abuse stopped, according to the police statement.

Records from Arkansas’ Washington County Sheriff’s office showed Joseph in custody without bond with a scheduled court appearance on Friday. Bay County planned to extradite Joseph, but did not say when that would occur.