Counting On‘s Joseph Duggar was arrested on March 18th, 2026. Joseph is the second person in the family to be arrested for sexually abusing a minor. Joseph’s older brother, Josh, is now in prison for 12.5 years for CSAM.
Joseph Duggar is the second person in the family to be arrested for sexually abusing a minor. TLC canceled the show in 2015 after Josh Duggar faced accusations of molesting four of his sisters and a caregiver years earlier. Josh Duggar’s parents say he admitted to touching someone inappropriately and said he was sorry. Joseph did the same thing to a 9-year-old girl, and he could go to jail for a while.
How Cops Got Duggar’s Shocking Confession
On Wednesday, police in Tontitown, Arkansas, called deputies in Bay County and said they had talked to a 14-year-old girl who said Duggar had sexually abused her multiple times when she was 9 years old, and her family went to Panama City Beach.
This week, the girl’s father talked to Duggar about the abuse, and Duggar said he did it. According to the arrest document, police detectives in Tontitown had the father phone Duggar with a detective on the line, and Duggar admitted to what he had done again.
It has already been acknowledged that Duggar is a high – profile case. The State of Florida v. Joseph Duggar. As of this publication, there is no court date set in Florida. Duggar is still in Arkansas, awaiting extradition to Florida. Various steps need to be taken in a case like this one, where the suspect was arrested in a different state than the state where the offense occurred.
Arkansas Sheriff Makes Bold Statement
The BCSO Sheriff Tommy Ford made a bold statement saying, ” I don’t care if he’s got a TV show, or who he is, or what he’s done; he’s committed an illegal act, and he’s going to be held accountable for that”
Jill Duggar Breaks Silence
His sister Jill and brother-in-law Derick Dillard have broken their silence with a strong rebuke of what Joseph has admitted to and his arrest. The statement read in part
“We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest.”
Jill and Derick said they learned of all charges related to Joseph yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged them about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. They said, “We are shocked and heartbroken.”
“We strongly condemn abuse. We uphold the rule of law and aspire to see justice served. Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. We pray God gives her strength, comfort, and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead. They closed with two bible verses “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression;…” -Isaiah 1:17 ESV
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” -Psalm 34:18 ESV
Extradition Could Take Awhile
When authorities apprehend someone in a different jurisdiction, they initiate an extradition process. Duggar will have the option to resist extradition or not. If he decides to give it up, Florida officials will have about 30 days to take him into custody. It will take a little longer, though, if Duggar wants to fight it. It seems Duggar could change his statement and fight the charges and extradition. Leave your thoughts on this situation in the comments below. Come back to the Daily News Corner for Duggar updates as they unfold.
