Joseph Duggar arrested over alleged abuse of 9-year-old on Florida holiday

Former 19 Kids and Counting star Joseph Duggar has been arrested and charged in a child sexual abuse case linked to a 2020 family holiday in Florida, with authorities alleging inappropriate contact involving a nine-year-old girl.

The 31-year-old faces charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12, along with lewd and lascivious behaviour by an adult, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Wednesday.

Duggar was taken into custody on March 18 and booked into a Washington County, Arkansas jail. He is now awaiting extradition to Bay County, Florida, where the charges were filed. Officials have not yet confirmed when the transfer will take place.

According to investigators, the case stems from an alleged incident during a family trip to Panama City Beach in 2020. Authorities said Duggar asked the child to sit on his lap before later sitting next to her under a blanket, where he is accused of inappropriate touching.

The allegations surfaced after the victim, now 14, participated in a forensic interview related to past abuse. Her father subsequently confronted Duggar, who allegedly admitted to the actions during discussions with both the parent and local detectives, according to officials.

Authorities added that the alleged behaviour stopped after Duggar apologised to the child.

Duggar remains in custody as legal proceedings move forward. Representatives for the Duggar family have not issued a public response.

The arrest has also renewed attention on the Duggar family’s previous legal controversies. In a separate case, Duggar’s brother Josh Duggar was sentenced in 2022 to more than 12 years in prison after being found guilty of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. He is currently serving his sentence in Texas, with a projected release date in 2032.