Joseph Duggar of ‘19 Kids and Counting’ Faces Child Sex Abuse Charges Joseph Duggar, a former star of the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, was arrested in Arkansas and is awaiting extradition to Florida, where authorities allege he molested a 9-year-old girl in 2020. The sheriff’s office in Bay County, Florida, stated that Duggar, 31, engaged in “unlawful sexual activity” with the girl in Panama City Beach, Florida, during that time. The victim, now 14, reported the assault to police in Tontitown, Arkansas, prompting an investigation that confirmed the incident occurred in Florida. A warrant for Duggar’s arrest was issued, and he remains in custody pending extradition. Duggar was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under 12 years old and with lewd and lascivious behavior by an adult. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office noted that the girl told investigators Duggar “eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.” It is unclear if Duggar has legal representation, and the Duggar family has not yet commented on the allegations. Duggar gained fame through 19 Kids and Counting, a TLC series that followed his family’s life in Arkansas. The show ran from 2008 to 2015, becoming one of TLC’s most popular programs. However, the series was removed from air in 2015 after allegations emerged that the family’s eldest son, Josh Duggar, had molested multiple girls as a teenager. While no criminal charges were filed against Josh at the time, the Duggar parents later told Fox News that four of the five girls involved were his sisters. Josh Duggar faced legal consequences in 2022 when he was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for downloading child sexual abuse material.#joseph_duggar #19_kids_and_counting #bay_county_sheriff_office #tontitown_arkansas #panama_city_beach
