New details have emerged regarding the arrest of Joseph Duggar, the former reality television personality from the series 19 Kids and Counting. According to an affidavit obtained by multiple news outlets on Wednesday, March 25, Duggar allegedly made incriminating statements during a law enforcement-supervised phone call with the father of his accuser.
Deputy Sheriff Darrell Norris requested that the father of the 14-year-old girl who accused Duggar of sexual abuse contact the 31-year-old to confront him about the allegations. This investigative technique, known as a pretext phone call, is commonly employed in sexual assault cases to elicit potentially incriminating statements from alleged perpetrators.
During pretext calls, the alleged victim or a family member contacts the accused individual while under officer supervision. The conversation is recorded without the knowledge of the person being called. The primary objective is to obtain admissions or statements that may support criminal charges.
According to court documents, Duggar allegedly admitted his actions during the recorded conversation, stating that he touched the victim over her clothing. The affidavit further indicates that Duggar acknowledged his intentions with the child were not pure.
Following these alleged admissions, a judge granted an arrest warrant for Duggar, which was transmitted to law enforcement authorities in Arkansas. Duggar was taken into custody on Thursday, March 19, facing charges of lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
The alleged victim, now 14 years old, detailed in the affidavit that she experienced several instances of sexual abuse when she was 9 years old. The incidents allegedly occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020, where Duggar was among numerous guests in attendance.
The girl alleged that Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap during the trip and would cradle her with his arms. She further claimed that Duggar would ask her to sit beside him on a couch, at which point he would cover them with a blanket to allegedly touch her inappropriately. According to the affidavit, the girl stated that Duggar later apologized for his actions and the incidents ceased.
At the time of the alleged incidents, Joseph Duggar was 25 years old and a father of two children. His wife, Kendra Duggar, was pregnant with their third child. The couple now shares four children: sons Garrett and Justus, and daughters Addison and Brooklyn.
Joseph Duggar appeared in court virtually the day following his arrest, did not enter a plea, and waived his right to an extradition hearing. He is currently awaiting extradition to Florida to face the charges filed against him.
In a separate development, Kendra Duggar, 27, was also taken into custody following her husband's arrest. She faces four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment. Kendra Duggar was released on a bond of $1,470.
A spokesperson for the Duggar family clarified that Kendra's charges are misdemeanor offenses completely unrelated to the Florida case against her husband. A source with knowledge of the case provided additional context, explaining that following Joseph's arrest, authorities automatically conducted a home study because minors reside in the residence.
According to the source, investigators discovered two rooms in the home where door locks were installed on the outside rather than the inside. Authorities arrested Kendra Duggar and temporarily removed the children from the home, citing this as evidence of potential wrongful detention of minors.
The case continues to develop as Joseph Duggar awaits extradition proceedings. Both individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.