Joseph Duggar, 31, was arrested for lewd and lascivious behaviour involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Wednesday.
View image in full screen“On March 18, 2026, Bay County investigators were contacted by a detective with the Tontitown Police Department regarding a report of past sexual abuse,” the statement said.
“The 14-year-old victim participated in a forensic interview, where she disclosed several incidents involving Duggar that occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9-years-old.”
Josh’s legal representation said he was also “deeply saddened” to hear of his brother’s arrest.
“Josh understands the stigma of being accused,” his lawyer said. “He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”
Josh, the eldest of all 19 Duggar children, was accused of molesting four of his sisters and a babysitter starting in 2006. The allegations against him arose publicly in 2015 after it came to light that he had confessed to the alleged assaults and apologized in private.
View image in full screenHe later resigned as a lobbyist for the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group. Months later, he also publicly apologized for cheating on his wife and admitted to having a pornography addiction, for which he then sought treatment.
Following his 2021 arrest, Josh was found guilty of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison in May 2022.
Other family members speak out
Jill Duggar Dillard, one of Joseph Duggar’s elder sisters, addressed the accusations in a family blog post on Thursday, saying they were “shocked” to hear of her brother’s arrest.
“We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. We are shocked and heartbroken,” the post continued.
Duggar Dillard went on to condemn her brother’s alleged actions, assuring that her family supports “the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved,” adding that her family would support Duggar’s wife and four children as they “process and grieve everything.”
The alleged incident involving Joseph took place in 2020 while the family was staying at a Florida residence, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap. As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,” police said.
“During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
The victim, who is now 14, told police the incidents stopped after Duggar eventually apologized for his actions.
“Investigators discovered the victim’s father confronted Duggar about these incidents on March 17th, 2026. Duggar admitted his actions to the victim’s father and to Tontitown Detectives,” police added.
On Friday, Joseph’s cousin, Amy Duggar, also commented on his arrest.
“In light of the recent allegations involving my cousin, Joseph Duggar, I am sickened, heartbroken and deeply angry,” she said in a statement obtained by People.
“My first thoughts are with the victim, a child who deserved to be safe, protected and surrounded by people she could trust,” she continued.
“The courage it took for her to come forward, especially after years of carrying something so heavy, cannot be overstated. That bravery deserves to be honored above all else,” she continued.
The rest of the Duggar family has not publicly commented on Joseph’s arrest as of this writing.
