Joseph Duggar, a former cast member of the TV series “19 Kids and Counting” on TLC, was taken into custody in Arkansas on charges related to inappropriate behavior with a minor, as stated by authorities on Wednesday. The incident in question occurred in Florida in 2020, where a 14-year-old girl alleged that Duggar had engaged in inappropriate conduct with her during a family trip when she was nine years old.
The arrest took place in Tontitown, Arkansas, the filming location of “19 Kids and Counting.” According to a statement from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the victim’s father confronted Duggar about the incidents on March 17, 2026, prompting Duggar to admit his actions to both the victim’s father and Tontitown Detectives.
A separate release from the Tontitown Police Department confirmed that a warrant for Duggar’s arrest was issued on Wednesday. Currently, Duggar is awaiting extradition to Bay County. Neither Duggar nor his family have made any public statements regarding the accusations.
This arrest follows the legal troubles of Joseph Duggar’s brother, Josh Duggar, who was convicted for possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material. The investigation into Josh Duggar began after authorities in Little Rock, Arkansas, traced the sharing of such material to a computer linked to him. In 2019, a computer at a car dealership owned by Josh Duggar was found to have downloaded images depicting child abuse, leading to his sentencing to 12½ years in prison in 2022.
The cancellation of “19 Kids and Counting” occurred in 2015 after allegations surfaced that Josh Duggar had molested his sisters and a babysitter. The show was axed by TLC due to these accusations, which were investigated following a tip from a family acquaintance. Despite the controversy, Joseph Duggar and other family members addressed the allegations in the TLC special “Jill & Jessa: Counting On.”
Expressing shock over his brother’s hidden life, Joseph Duggar conveyed his disappointment in a 2015 segment of the show, emphasizing the contradiction between his brother’s public image and his actual actions, stating, “It broke my heart.”
