Joseph Garrett Duggar, 31-year-old father of three and former '19 Kids and Counting' star, was arrested in Florida on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor. The charges stem from alleged molestation of a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation in Panama City Beach.
Joseph Garrett Duggar, 31, a father of three and cast member of the reality series '19 Kids and Counting,' was arrested on March 19, 2026, following allegations of molesting a girl who was 9 years old at the time of the incidents during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020. He remains in custody.
According to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the now-14-year-old victim reported multiple incidents: Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap and then on a couch next to him under a blanket, where he allegedly manipulated her underwear, grazed her genitals, and rubbed her thighs. He reportedly apologized to the girl afterward. On March 17, 2026, the victim's father confronted Duggar, who admitted to the actions, leading to his arrest.
Duggar faces charges of lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim under 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior by a person 18 years or older. The story was first reported by TMZ.
This arrest adds to the Duggar family's history of scandals. In 2015, a police report revealed that Duggar's older brother, Josh Duggar, had molested five young girls, including four sisters, though he faced no charges at the time. The revelations led TLC to cancel '19 Kids and Counting,' though a spinoff, 'Counting On,' later aired without Josh. In 2021, Josh Duggar was convicted of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material and has been incarcerated since.