Duggar is accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl while vacationing with her family in Panama City Beach, Fla. in 2020
NEED TO KNOW
- Authorities in Washington County, Arkansas have released Joseph Duggar’s mugshot following his arrest on child molestation charges
- Duggar is accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl while vacationing with her family in Panama City Beach, Fla. in 2020
- The 19 Kids and Counting star is awaiting extradition to Bay County, Fla., where he will face the charges
Arkansas authorities have released Joseph Duggar's mugshot following his March 18 arrest on charges of child molestation.
Duggar's mugshot was made public by Washington County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday evening, hours after he was arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old, and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
Duggar, 31, is listed as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 206 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair, according to jail records viewed by PEOPLE. He was booked into the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Ark. at 3:59 p.m. local time, as previously confirmed by PEOPLE.
The arresting agency was the Tonitown Police Department, per the records.
Duggar was arrested in connection with an incident that allegedly took place in 2020, in which he is accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl while vacationing with her family in Panama City Beach, Fla.
Authorities allege that Joseph asked the victim to sit on his lap before sexually abusing her. "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," Bay County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) said.
Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Department
"The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology," the BCSO's statement continued.
Duggar is currently awaiting extradition to Bay County, where he will face the charges.
His arrest comes after the victim participated in a forensic interview following a report of past sexual abuse. The victim's father confronted Duggar about the incidents and Joseph "allegedly admitted his actions to the father and Tontitown detectives," police said.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Credit: TLC/YouTube
PEOPLE confirms that Duggar is in police custody, but an official extradition timeline has not been released.
Duggar's arrest comes nearly four years after his older brother, Josh Duggar, 38, was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on charges of possession of child pornography in 2022. Josh was also accused of sexually abusing five girls, including his sisters, Jill (Duggar) Dillard and Jessa (Duggar) Seewald.
PEOPLE reached out to the Bay County Sheriff's Office and a representative for the Duggar family for comment.
Duggar is scheduled to appear in court on March 20, per jail records viewed by PEOPLE.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the full article here
