Joseph Duggar freed on $600,000 bond after denying molestation allegations

Joseph Dugger Released Following Not Guilty Plea

Joseph Dugger has been released after pleading not guilty to charges of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. As of Tuesday afternoon, he was not listed as an inmate at a Florida jail, per the Bay County Jail website.

Albert Sorin, a former reality TV lawyer, informed the Associated Press that his client was released on a $600,000 bail shortly after appearing in court and flew back to Arkansas.

Court records indicate that Judge Brantley Clark has prohibited Dugger, who is 31, from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 18.

Sorin mentioned that ensuring fair treatment for Duggar, given his public profile, is a priority. Duggar was taken into custody in Arkansas earlier this month before being moved to the Bay County Jail in Panama City, Florida.

On March 18, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office reported that Dugger faced charges related to lewd conduct with a minor and another case involving an adult. Authorities were alerted by the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas about a previous case of sexual abuse concerning a now-14-year-old boy.

During a forensic interview, the 9-year-old victim recounted multiple incidents with Duggar while her family vacationed in Panama City Beach in 2020. She noted that Duggar allegedly asked her to sit on his lap and touched her inappropriately under a blanket while they were on a couch together. The victim also stated that he touched her thigh.

According to an affidavit, Dugger reportedly confessed to the victim’s father about the abuse in 2020.

At the time of the alleged incidents, Duggar had been married to Kendra Caldwell for three years. Caldwell, who is 27 and a mother of three, was arrested on March 20 and charged alongside Duggar with several counts related to endangering a minor’s welfare and false imprisonment linked to a locked room.