Joseph Duggar wore a somber expression in his mugshot after being arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl.
The “19 Kids and Counting” alum looked unhappy in a photo released by the Washington County Jail and obtained by Page Six on Thursday.
A family spokesperson told Page Six that the Duggars are not making a statement at this time.
On Wednesday, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced that a 31-year-old former reality TV star was arrested in Florida on suspicion of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl.
He was charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a victim under the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious acts with a victim over the age of 18.
Bay County investigators were contacted by detectives from the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas regarding reports of past sexual abuse, according to the statement.
“The 14-year-old victim participated in a forensic interview and disclosed several incidents involving Dugger that occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when he was 9 years old,” the statement continued.
According to their investigation, the incident occurred in 2020, with the victim claiming Duggar “repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap.”
He also allegedly asked her to sit next to him on the couch before covering her with a blanket and touching her private parts. Duggar also allegedly rubbed his hand on her thigh.
The victim recalled that Duggar allegedly stopped after he apologized for his actions.
On March 17, 2026, the victim’s father confronted Mr. Duggar about the alleged incident, and the businessman confessed.
Duggar was eventually arrested and booked into the Washington County Jail in Arkansas.
Arkansas State Police announced he will be extradited to Bay County. Bay County confirmed to Page Six that he is not yet in the county.
The TLC personality married Kendra Caldwell, 27, in 2017, and the couple have three children: Garrett (7), Addison (6), and Brooklyn Praise (5).
Joseph first rose to fame in the early 2000s, when his parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and all of their children appeared on TLC’s 19 and Counting, which followed their lives as devout Independent Baptists who espoused strict, conservative Christian principles.
In 2015, the couple’s eldest son, Josh Duggar, was also accused of sexually abusing minors, including his sister.
He was arrested in April 2021 on charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material and was convicted later that year. Josh was sentenced to 12 years in prison and is currently serving his sentence.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call our Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
