“19 Kids and Counting” star Joseph Garrett Duggar was arrested Wednesday in Florida on charges of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl.
The 31-year-old reality star was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a victim under the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious conduct with a victim over the age of 18, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said they were contacted by the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas and informed of a previous sexual abuse incident involving a boy who is now 14 years old.
During questioning by a forensic pathologist, the victim told officers that in 2020, when she was 9 years old, she allegedly got into several incidents with Duggar during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The victim recalled how Duggar allegedly asked her to sit on his lap.
During the same vacation, the real estate broker allegedly invited the victim to sit on a nearby couch, where he covered her with a blanket and began touching her private parts.
At the time, the victim recalled various times when Duggar allegedly rubbed her thighs.
The victim recalled being stopped after the businessman apologized.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, on March 17, 2026, the victim’s father spoke out about the incident with Dugger and confessed to the crime to the patriarch and Tontitown police officers.
Page Six confirmed that Duggar is being held in the Washington County Jail in Arkansas and has not been formally arrested. Arkansas police say charges will be announced after booking. He will then be extradited to Bay County.
Representatives for his family could not be reached for comment.
The television personality married Kendra Caldwell in 2017, and the couple have three children: Garrett, Addison, and Bullynn Praise.
Joseph rose to fame on the early 2000s show 19 Kids and Counting, which followed the lives of his parents Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar and all of their children.
Additionally, the couple’s son Josh was also accused of sexually abusing minors, including his sister, in 2015.
He was arrested in April 2021 and sentenced later that year. Josh was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Josh married his wife Anna Duggar in 2008 and they now have a 16-year-old daughter, McKinzie-Renee Duggar.
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.
