Law enforcement has released a former reality TV personality’s mugshot after he was arrested over child molestation allegations linked to a 2020 incident in Florida involving a nine-year-old girl.
Authorities in Arkansas made public the booking photo of 19 Kids and Counting star Joseph Duggar after his March 18 arrest. The father-of-four remains in custody at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office while awaiting extradition to Florida.
Duggar, the seventh child in the well-known Duggar family, faces charges including lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12, along with lewd and lascivious conduct by a person aged 18 or older.
This is not the first time a member of the family has faced serious criminal allegations. The Duggar follow-up series Counting On was canceled in 2021 after the oldest Duggar son, Josh, received a 12-year prison sentence for possessing child abuse images.
Joseph and Josh Duggar both appeared on the family’s reality show, which chronicled the devout Baptist household, their homeschooling approach, and their religious life.
Joseph Duggar is currently being held in Arkansas as the extradition process to Bay County, Florida, moves forward.
According to jail documentation from the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, he is listed as 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 206 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair.
The case is tied to allegations that a nine-year-old girl was molested while on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach, Florida. Investigators allege Duggar asked the child to sit on his lap and then abused her.
Bay County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said: “As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket.
“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 statement continued: “The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”