Joseph Duggar, who was featured on TLC‘s 19 Kids and Counting and its spinoff series Counting On, was arrested following sexual abuse claims.
The arrest happened on Wednesday after an investigation was opened following a 14-year-old victim claiming she was abused by the former reality star when she was 9 years old.
According to a statement from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, 31-year-old Joseph Duggar was charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
“On March 18, 2026, Bay County investigators were contacted by a detective with the Tontitown Police Department regarding a report of past sexual abuse,” read the Facebook post. “The 14-year-old victim participated in a forensic interview, where she disclosed several incidents involving Duggar that occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9-years-old.”
Based on the investigation, the victim claimed, “Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap. As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
The victim said that Joseph Duggar apologized for his actions, and the incidents stopped following the apology. Furthermore, authorities said Joseph Duggar admitted to the incident to his father and the police after being confronted on March 17.
Joseph Duggar was featured on 19 Kids and Counting, a TLC series that aired from 2008 through 2015, following the lives of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and their 19 children. The series was canceled after accusations surrounding Joseph Duggar’s brother, Josh Duggar, came up. TLC spun off the show into Counting On, which aired from 2015 to 2021, when it was canceled ahead of Josh Duggar’s child pornography trial.
Josh Duggar was accused of abusing underage girls, including four of his sisters. Following his arrest for child pornography, he was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
