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Another member of the Duggar family is in police custody.
Josh Duggar was sentenced to 12 years in prison for child pornography in 2022, and now his younger brother Joseph Duggar is accused of sexually abusing a kid.
Joseph, 31, was arrested in Arkansas on March 18 and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, which includes unlawful sexual interaction with a minor, according to numerous law enforcement agencies.
The complaint arose from a 2020 incident in which the 19 Kids and Counting star allegedly raped a 9-year-old girl while on a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Fla., according to a statement issued by the Bay County Sheriff's Office on March 18.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the 14-year-old girl reported "past sexual abuse" and "disclosed several incidents" allegedly involving the TLC star.
"The victim reported that Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap," the agency said in their statement. "As the vacation progressed, he requested her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them both with a blanket. During this point, Duggar manipulated the victim's undergarments, grazing her genitals. Duggar would continue to press his hands against her thighs."
The girl informed investigators that the alleged assault halted after Joseph apologized for his actions, according to officials.
The Sheriff's Office stated that Joseph "admitted his actions to the victim's father and Tontitown Detectives" after being confronted by the dad on March 17.
Tontitown, Arkansas, police apprehended Joseph at 3:00 p.m. local time, according to the city police department. He is awaiting extradition to Bay County.
Joseph and his wife, Kendra Caldwell, had been married for roughly three years when the alleged molestation occurred. They have four children, aged seven to three years old.
Josh, the 38-year-old older brother, was charged with one count of receiving child sex abuse material for having "repeatedly downloaded and viewed images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including images of prepubescent children and depictions of sadistic abuse," according to Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville.
In addition to a 12-year jail sentence, the father of seven was forced to serve 20 years of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay a $50,000 fine.
The Supreme Court denied his appeal in June 2024. According to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Josh claims he was not given a fair trial and is still attempting to overturn his conviction.
