Joseph Duggar, a father of four, was arrested Wednesday and faces accusations of inappropriately touching a nine-year-old girl. The allegations involve contact with the girl’s underwear and genital area.
Joseph Duggar, age 31 and brother of convicted sex offender Josh Duggar, was arrested on charges related to inappropriate and illegal sexual contact with a minor, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Lynn Haven, Florida.
On Wednesday, a Tontitown, Arkansas police investigator contacted the BCSO to report a historical case of sexual abuse.
Police say a 14-year-old girl reported to authorities that Joseph Duggar engaged in inappropriate behavior about five years ago.
Police say the incidents reportedly happened during a family trip to Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020, when the victim was nine years old.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Brown County Sheriff’s Office for more information. A representative for the Duggar family said they hadn’t released an official statement as of Wednesday night.
The person who reported the incidents said their family was staying at a house on Danny Drive when they happened.
According to the BCSO, Joseph Duggar repeatedly asked a woman to sit on his lap, and his actions seemed to become more insistent over the course of the vacation.
In a separate instance, Joseph invited the victim to sit beside him on a couch and then covered them with a blanket, during which he rubbed his hands on their thighs.
‘During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals.’
From what the authorities at the BCSO have shared, it sounds like Duggar apologized to the person involved, and thankfully, that was the end of it. I’m just glad things stopped after that, even if it took an apology.
On Tuesday, the father of the person who reported the incident spoke with Joseph Duggar. According to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Duggar admitted to what he did in front of the father and a detective in Tontitown.
Joseph Duggar was arrested and charged with offenses related to inappropriate behavior with a person under the age of 12, and for being over 18 while engaging in such behavior.
Authorities with the BCSO said that Joseph Duggar is currently awaiting extradition to Bay County.
According to reports from People magazine, Joseph was taken into custody at the Washington County, Arkansas jail around 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
In a 2015 episode of Jill & Jessa: Counting On, Joseph expressed his shock and disbelief over the criminal behavior of his brother, Josh.
Joseph, who was 20 at the time, shared that none of them suspected his brother was keeping such a big secret. He said it was deeply upsetting to discover the truth.
Joseph and Kendra have been married since September 2017 and are parents to four children, according to People magazine.
If you’ve experienced sexual abuse, you can get support by texting ‘STRENGTH’ to 741-741. This will connect you with a trained crisis counselor.
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2026-03-19 06:03