Joseph Duggar has officially been extradited from Arkansas to Florida after being arrested for unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
Us Weekly can confirm that Duggar, 31, is in custody at the Bay County Jail as of Tuesday, March 31. He was transferred nearly two weeks after being arrested in Arkansas for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the alleged victim, now 14, was on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, when Joseph allegedly asked her to sit on his lap and “grazed her genitals” while under a blanket. Joseph apologized for his actions and no further incidents occurred at the time.
Authorities were later alerted to the allegations when the victim’s father confronted the former reality star earlier this month. Joseph once again admitted his actions to both the father and to detectives from the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas. He was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
Duggar is also facing an additional four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree. His wife, Kendra Duggar, was arrested on the same charges on March 20 and subsequently released on a $1,470 bond. (Joseph and Kendra, 27, share four children.)
A source exclusively told Us that Kendra’s arrest had “nothing to do” with Joseph’s case in Florida.
“After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there,” the source shared. “Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside. They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids.”
The Duggars entered the public eye with their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting. The family previously weathered several controversies involving Joseph’s brother Josh Duggar, who molested multiple girls — some of whom were his sisters — as a teenager. He was later arrested in 2021, pleading not guilty to charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. Josh, 38, was sentenced to 151 months in prison, which he is still currently serving.
Earlier this month, Josh spoke out from behind bars about his brother’s arrest.
Josh’s lawyer told the Daily Mail that his client was “deeply saddened” to learn Joseph was charged, slamming the “false accusations” and “stigma” against his brother.
“He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life,” the statement on Josh’s behalf continued. “He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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