Joseph Duggar, a former cast member of the reality TV show “19 Kids and Counting” on TLC, was taken into custody in Arkansas on Wednesday for engaging in inappropriate and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, as per authorities. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the charges against Duggar stem from an incident that occurred in Florida in 2020. During a forensic interview in March 2026, a 14-year-old girl disclosed that Duggar had sexually abused her during a family trip to Panama City Beach when she was 9 years old.
Duggar was apprehended in Tontitown, Arkansas, where the show “19 Kids and Counting” was filmed. The Sheriff’s Office stated that the victim’s father confronted Duggar about the incidents on March 17, 2026, and Duggar confessed to both the victim’s father and Tontitown Detectives.
The Tontitown Police Department issued a separate statement confirming the issuance of an arrest warrant for Duggar. He is awaiting extradition to Bay County. Neither Duggar nor his family has made any public statements regarding the accusations.
This arrest comes after Joseph Duggar’s brother, Josh Duggar, was convicted for possessing images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Federal authorities initiated an investigation after discovering child sexual abuse material being shared from a computer linked to Josh Duggar at a car dealership he owned in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 2019, the computer was used to download images portraying the sexual exploitation of children, including toddlers. Josh Duggar was sentenced to 12½ years in prison in 2022.
TLC canceled “19 Kids and Counting” in 2015 following allegations that Josh Duggar had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter in the past. Authorities probed the matter after a tip from a family friend but determined that the statute of limitations had expired for any potential charges.
In response to the resurfaced allegations in 2015, Duggar’s parents disclosed that he had admitted to the misconduct privately and apologized. He subsequently made a public apology for unspecified actions and stepped down as a lobbyist for the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian organization. Some family members, including Joseph Duggar, addressed the allegations in the TLC special “Jill & Jessa: Counting On.”
Expressing his shock, Joseph Duggar remarked on his disbelief in learning about his brother’s hidden life during the show, stating that it was heartbreaking to see someone he admired for advocating Christian values involved in such actions.
