Joseph Duggar, a former star of the reality television series '19 Kids and Counting,' has been arrested and charged with child molestation in Florida. Duggar, age 31, is facing accusations of lewd and lascivious behavior towards a child under the age of 12, stemming from incidents that occurred when the alleged victim was nine years old.
The accusations came to light after a 14-year-old girl reported to the police in Tontitown, Arkansas, that she had been molested multiple times during a family trip to Panama City Beach. Subsequently, law enforcement officers contacted the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, leading to Duggar's arrest.
Reports indicate that Duggar admitted to the abuse during an interrogation that involved the girl's father. The investigation remains active, and Duggar was awaiting extradition to Florida at the time of the report.
This latest charge adds to the ongoing controversies surrounding the Duggar family, particularly following the conviction of Duggar's brother, Josh, who was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse imagery in 2021. The family's reality show was canceled in 2015 amid disclosures of earlier allegations concerning Josh Duggar's history of molestation.
The Tontitown Police Department has deferred further inquiries regarding the investigation to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, as they continue to seek more information on this distressing case.
