The couple face four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment, according to Arkansas authorities
Credit: Joseph and Kendra Duggar/Instagram; Washington County Sheriffs Department
NEED TO KNOW
- Kendra Duggar is formally charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree, and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree
- Joseph Duggar was also hit with four additional counts of each charge, in addition to the two counts of lewd and lascivious previously filed against him
- Police say the investigation remains “active and ongoing,” with limited details due to the involvement of minors
Kendra Duggar is now facing criminal charges alongside her husband, Joseph Duggar, after Arkansas police announced additional counts in the ongoing investigation.
According to a Friday, March 20, press release from the Tontitown Police Department, both Joseph, 31, and Kendra, 27, are now facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree, and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree.
Authorities said arrest warrants have been issued and served for the misdemeanor offenses through District Court.
Credit: Little Duggar Family/Instagram
The police department noted that the investigation remains "active and ongoing," adding that Arkansas law limits the amount of information that can be publicly 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 department said.
The charges were fired as part of an continuing investigation into an incident first reported on Wednesday, March 18.
The latest filing brings four additional counts of each charge against the former 19 Kids and Counting star, on top of the two previously filed he was already facing including 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.
Kendra has been newly charged in the case.
Credit: Washington County Sheriffs Department
The charges against Joseph were filed by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on March 18 after they learned about 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.
According to the BCSO, the girl claimed Duggar engaged in “unlawful sexual activity” after asking her to sit on his lap and later next to him under a blanket, where he allegedly touched her inappropriately.
Duggar had been asked about the girl’s accusations by her father on the night of March 17 and allegedly confessed at that time, according to a statement from the BCSO.
"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 read.
"The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology," the BCSO's statement continued.
Duggar was arrested in Arkansas, where he resides, but the case is being handled in Florida where the alleged incidents occurred. He must be extradited to Bay County to face charges there.
Joseph, who appeared on all four iterations of his family's TLC reality series franchise, is a father of four who has been married to his wife Kendra since 2017. Their wedding was featured in a 2017 episode of Counting On.
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