Joseph Duggar, 31, appeared in an Arkansas courthouse via Zoom on Friday, March 20. He gave up his right to an extradition hearing, but his wife, Kendra, and other family members were not there. Update: Kendra was arrested and booked that day.
RadarOnline has reported that Joseph Duggar went to court for the first time after being arrested for “unlawful sexual activity with a minor.”
Joseph Duggar is the second family member to be arrested for sexually abusing a child. TLC pulled the show in 2015 after his older brother Josh Duggar, was accused of assaulting four of his sisters and a caregiver years earlier. Jill, Jessa, and Jinger have talked publicly about the traumatizing incident. Two sisters have written books detailing the Duggar family’s fundamental upbringing.
Florida Laws Are Very Strict For This Kind Of Crime
The disgraced reality star was charged with Lewd and Lascivious Behavior—molesting a child under 12 years old and Lewd and Lascivious Behavior by an adult 18 years or older.
According to Muscaw Law Group in Naples, Florida, Florida has some of the strongest punishments for child molestation in the country. If Joseph is found guilty, he may get a minimum sentence of 25 years, and he might even get a life sentence.
The Arkansas sheriff has made it clear there will be no special treatment for the TLC reality star. Sheriff Tommy Ford said point-blank” 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.”
There is no court date set in Florida as of this writing. Duggar is still in Arkansas, waiting to be sent to Florida. In a case like this one, where the suspect was arrested in a different state from where the crime happened, a number of things need to be done. Joseph has waived his extradition rights and will be sent to Florida. Joseph has been straightforward during the booking process so far. It is still an open investigation, so it’s possible that more charges could be forthcoming.
Josh Duggar Says His Younger Brother Is Innocent
Joseph Duggar’s older brother Josh has broken his silence behind bars. He said he was “deeply saddened” to learn Joseph, 31, was charged. Josh, 38, went on to slam the “false accusations” against his brother following the “stigma.” He added, “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.”
Jill and Derick Dillard have come out against what Joseph did. They posted “Justice be served” and “Stand with the alleged victim.” went on to give support to their sister-in-law, Kendra: “We love our sister-in-law, Kendra, and our four nieces and nephews and pray that they feel loved and supported during this time, as we cannot imagine the indescribable pain they feel as they process and grieve everything.”
They shared two Bible verses in closing.
“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
Come back to the Daily News Corner for more Duggar updates.
