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Joseph Duggar and his wife, Kendra Duggar, were reportedly last seen in a family holiday video released mere weeks before his arrest on child molestation allegations.
Footage from the Duggar family’s annual Christmas costume party was included in Joseph’s sister Jessa Seewald’s “Holiday Festivities” vlog, which was published on February 9. In the video, Joseph, 31 wears a black bodysuit covered in festive lights and Kendra is decked out like a Christmas tree for the holiday gathering.
“She’s a Christmas tree and I’m the lights going on her Christmas tree,” Joseph explains in a brief clip.
Us Weekly confirmed on Wednesday, March 18, that Joseph was arrested in connection with child molestation allegations. Florida police released a lengthy statement confirming that Joseph had been charged with 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.
Per that police statement, a 14-year-old victim came forward to authorities in Tontitown, Arkansas, with accusations that she was sexually abused by Joseph on a 2020 family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9 years old.
“The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap. As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,” Bay City Police said on Wednesday. “During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
According to police, Joseph “eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”
“Investigators discovered the victim’s father confronted Duggar about these incidents on March 17th, 2026. Duggar admitted his actions to the victim’s father and to Tontitown Detectives,” police added.
Joseph and Kendra Duggar in Jessa Duggar’s 2025 holiday vlog. Courtesy YouTube/Jessa Seewald
As of publication, Joseph remains in custody awaiting extradition from Arkansas to Florida.
Us has reached out to the Duggar family for comment.
Joseph and Kendra have kept a low profile in recent years, after initially launching a family Instagram account in February 2019. They completely stopped updating the account in November 2021. (Joseph and Kendra tied the knot in September 2017. They share four children: Garrett David, 7, Addison Renee, 6, Brooklyn Praise, 5, and Justus, 3.)
Joseph’s arrest is the latest dark incident for the Duggar family. In 2015, Joseph’s older brother, Josh Duggar, publicly apologized for acting “inexcusably” when he was accused in a police report of molesting five girls, two of whom were his sisters, when he was a teenager.
“I confessed [my actions] to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation,” Josh said at the time. “We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.”
A painful situation. Jinger Duggar opened up about her relationship with brother Josh Duggar after his conviction for child pornography. “That’s been one of the hardest things,” the Counting On alum, 29, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the Tuesday, January 31, release of her book Becoming Free Indeed. “It is difficult to even discuss […]
His statement went on, “I would do anything to go back to those teen years and take different actions. I sought forgiveness from those I had wronged and asked Christ to forgive me and come into my life. In my life today, I am so very thankful for God’s grace, mercy and redemption.”
Josh was subsequently convicted on an unrelated charge of receiving child sexual abuse material and sentenced to 12 years behind bars in 2022. He maintains his innocence and is actively appealing his conviction.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
