The Duggar family’s black sheep is notoriously Josh Duggar. However, his brother, Joseph Duggar, is etching his name in imfamy, stemming from his actions years ago involving a minor in Panama City, Florida in 2020.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced on March 18:
BCSO Charges Arkansas Man For Lewd and Lascivious Conduct With A Minor
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office has arrested and charged 31-year-old Joseph Garrett Duggar for Lewd and Lascivious Behavior, involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
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 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.
According to the investigation, the incidents took place in 2020 while the family was staying at a residence on Danny Drive. 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. 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 stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.
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.
Duggar was arrested out of state and charged with Lewd and Lascivious Behavior – Molestation of a Victim Less Than 12-years-old and Lewd and Lascivious Behavior Conducted By A Person 18 Years Or Older.
Duggar is currently awaiting extradition to Bay County.
The charges against Joseph Duggar include his confessing to multiple witnesses, so unless he decides to recant his statements, a plea deal is in his future. If convicted, the first charge is classified as a life felony, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison, life probation, and mandatory lifetime registration as a sex offender. The second charge is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of sex offender probation, and fines of up to $10,000.
These charges would result in a mandatory welfare check on Duggar’s house and his four children. The result of the visit was additional charges on both Joseph and his wife, Kendra Duggar. The Tontitown Police Department announced on March 20:
The Tontitown Police Department is providing an update regarding the incident reported to our agency on March 18, 2026. As a result of the continuing investigation, additional charges have been filed in this case against Joseph Duggar, age 31, and Kendra Duggar, age 27.
Arrest warrants have been issued and served for the following misdemeanor offenses through District Court:
• Four (4) counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor, Second Degree
• Four (4) counts of False Imprisonment, Second DegreeThis remains an active and ongoing investigation. Arkansas law strictly limits the information that may be released in cases involving minors and other sensitive circumstances.
To protect the integrity of the investigation and the privacy of those involved, no further details will be provided at this time.
The Tontitown Police Department remains committed to conducting a thorough, professional investigation. Additional information will be released as permitted by law and as the investigation allows.
Details have emerged, although through unofficial sources:
According to the insider, Kendra was arrested solely based on the results of the home investigation.
“Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside,” the source explains to Us. “They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids.”
A spokesperson for the Duggar family subsequently confirmed that Kendra’s charge is unrelated to Joseph’s arrest for alleged unlawful sexual activity with a minor, telling Us in a statement, “[Kendra’s] is a misdemeanor charge totally unrelated to the Florida case.”
The four charges correspond to the four children. There is no precedent for convicting parents in Arkansas for reverse doorknobs with the charges listed, without an underlying pattern of abuse. Kendra Duggar was released on a bond of $1470, while Joseph Duggar awaits extradition. The investigation is ongoing.
Opinion
One of the worst things about this case is the willful hypocrisy after having seen the damage of these actions up close and personal. Joseph Duggar’s own sisters were molested by Josh Duggar. At the time, 2015, Duggar had this to say:
“Whenever somebody you respect the most is willing to get up and proclaim what we believe as Christians, about being true to your wife, you’d never think that that’s the person who’s involved in it,” Joseph said in the clip.
He continued, “It broke my heart” to learn of the allegations against his older brother. Joseph admitted he was surprised Josh was “living such a secret life.”
Joseph Duggar has seen how his brother Josh Duggar’s sin has brought national attention and disgrace to their family, and he still sinned in the same way. Josh Duggar was disgraced after it was discovered that he molested his younger sisters. But in April 2021, he would get caught with child pornography on his computer, resulting in a 151-month sentence following his conviction in December 2021.
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