Paula Faris sits down exclusively with several of the Duggar children, (L to R) John David Duggar, Josiah Duggar, Joseph Duggar, from their Arkansas home, for an interview airing on GOOD MORNING AMERICA, Monday, March 14. 2016 (Photo by Ida Mae Astut
BAY COUNTY, Fla. – A former reality television star from the TLC series “19 Kids and Counting” is facing charges after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 Florida vacation.
Former TLC star faces Florida charges
What we know:
Joseph Garrett Duggar, 31, is charged with 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, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Duggar is awaiting extradition to Bay County to face the charges. Officials confirmed to FOX 5 Atlanta the suspect was featured on the TLC reality show.
Bay County deputies were notified on Wednesday when Tontitown, Arkansas police contacted them regarding a report of past sexual abuse.
Investigators said the now 14-year-old victim had participated in a forensic review where she disclosed several incidents involving Duggar that allegedly happened on a family vacation to Panama City Beach when she was 9 years old.
Authorities said the victim’s father confronted Duggar about the incidents on Tuesday, when he then allegedly admitted his actions to the father and Tontitown detectives.
Details of the 2020 allegations
The victim told police her family was staying at a home on Danny Drive when Duggar allegedly asked her to sit on his lap several times, according to Bay County officials.
At one point during the vacation, Duggar also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket, the victim claimed.
After he covered them with the blanket, Duggar then molested the girl, she said.
The victim said the inappropriate contact continued on the trip until one day Duggar eventually apologized for his actions.
Questions remain
What we don’t know:
Law enforcement did not say how the victim and Duggar are connected or give a timeline for Duggar’s extradition to Florida.
It is unclear whether investigators believe there are additional victims.
Duggar family secrets revealed
Dig deeper:
In 2023, the Duggar family, once considered a chief example of Christian evangelicalism, were featured in a docuseries exploring their ties to an ultra-religious organization known as “The Institute of Basic Life Principles.”
The series called “Shiny Happy People” aired on Amazon Prime Video.
The family’s downfall started in 2015 when it was revealed that the eldest Duggar son, Josh Duggar, had molested underage girls — including four of his sisters and a babysitter.
TLC canceled the Duggar reality show following the allegations.
Patriarch Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle, admitted they knew of the incidents and are facing scrutiny for failing to report the crimes, instead opting for internal church counseling.
Scandals escalated in 2021, when a Little Rock detective discovered child porn files were being shared from a computer traced to Josh Duggar.
Investigators testified that the images depicted child abuse, including toddlers, that were downloaded in 2019 onto a computer at a car dealership owned by Josh Duggar.
Josh Duggar is currently serving a 12 ½ year prison sentence after being convicted of downloading child sexual abuse material.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting contributed to this report.
