Almost five years ago, Josh Duggar made headlines when he was convicted for possessing child sexual abuse materials and for abusing a woman’s brother. His sentence was over 12 years in prison. Now, his younger brother Joseph is facing similar allegations—specifically, charges of lewd sexual abuse involving a 9-year-old girl. Josh had admitted to his actions following an investigation related to a molestation incident during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020.
The former star of 19 Kids and Counting was arrested on March 18, 2026. He’s now 31 and is charged with “lewd and lascivious sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious acts by someone over 18,” according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. By the afternoon of that day, he was booked into the Washington County Jail in Arkansas.
Reports indicate that the abuse happened when Joseph asked the girl to sit on his lap. He later instructed her to sit beside him on the couch, covering her with a blanket. During this time, he manipulated the victim’s underwear and touched her genitals. He allegedly continued to rub his hands on her thighs, as stated by officials.
Though the victim noted that Joseph had “apologized for his actions and that the incidents stopped after that,” the arrest came after she participated in a forensic interview concerning previous sexual abuse reports. Joseph is currently in police custody, though there’s been no formal extradition process reported yet.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, there’s help available. You can text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to connect with a certified crisis counselor.
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