Former reality TV star Joseph Duggar is facing a charge of child molestation in Florida, marking a troubling chapter for the Duggar family nearly five years after his brother Josh Duggar's conviction for downloading child sexual abuse images.
The 31-year-old Duggar was arrested in Arkansas and is awaiting extradition to Florida. According to reports from the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Duggar has been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a child under 12 years old.
The investigation began when the Tontitown Police Department was alerted by a 14-year-old girl, who disclosed that Duggar had molested her multiple times during a family trip to Panama City Beach in 2014, when she was just 9 years old. This claim was further substantiated when the girl’s father confronted Duggar, and Duggar allegedly admitted to the abuse.
The Tontitown authorities communicated with Bay County, leading to a more extensive investigation that unveiled these serious accusations against Duggar, now raising concerns and questions within the community. No further details have been provided about legal representation for Duggar, as there was no online court docket available in Florida at the time.
In light of these grave accusations, the Tontitown Police stated that their investigation remains active, while they referred additional queries to the Bay County Sheriff's Office in Florida.
The Duggar family first rose to fame through TLC's '19 Kids and Counting', which followed their lives and faith as devout Baptists raising their large family. The show was canceled in 2015 after allegations against Josh Duggar came to light, including his admissions of molesting four of his sisters and a family babysitter during his teenage years.
In 2022, Josh Duggar was sentenced to over 12 years in prison after being convicted of receiving and possessing material depicting child sexual abuse.
