Former '19 Kids and Counting' Star Joseph Duggar Charged with Child Molestation

Joseph Duggar condemned his brother Josh's child sex abuse crimes years before facing similar allegations

Mar. 19, 2026 at 3:20am

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Former '19 Kids and Counting' star Joseph Duggar has been charged with child molestation in connection with an alleged incident that took place during a 2020 vacation to Florida with the victim and her family. This comes more than a decade after Joseph condemned his older brother Josh Duggar's child sex abuse crimes.

Why it matters

The Duggar family has faced a series of high-profile scandals related to child sexual abuse allegations over the past decade. This latest charge against Joseph Duggar raises further questions about the family's history and the ongoing impact on the victims.

The details

According to police, the 14-year-old victim alleged that Joseph Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap, sit next to him on a couch covered by a blanket, and manipulated her underwear and grazed her genitals during the 2020 vacation. The victim said Duggar eventually stopped after apologizing to her.

  • In 2015, Joseph Duggar condemned his older brother Josh Duggar's child sex abuse crimes.
  • On March 18, 2026, Joseph Duggar was booked into the Washington County, Arkansas jail on charges of child molestation.

The players

Joseph Duggar

A 31-year-old former star of the reality TV show '19 Kids and Counting' who has been charged with child molestation.

Josh Duggar

Joseph's older brother who was previously accused of sexually abusing five girls, including two of his sisters.

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What they’re saying

“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. It broke my heart.”

— Joseph Duggar

“I always wanted to be like him. But one of the toughest things I ever had to tell my older brother was, 'I don't want to be like you anymore.'”

— John-David Duggar, Joseph's brother

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Joseph Duggar out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing pattern of child sexual abuse allegations within the Duggar family, raising serious concerns about the family's values and the long-term trauma inflicted on the victims.