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Footage from Joseph Duggar‘s arrest for unlawful sexual activity with a minor has been released.
A video shows Duggar, 31, being processed on Wednesday, March 18, at Arkansas’ Washington County Jail. Us Weekly obtained footage showing Duggar in a gray long-sleeve shirt, black pants and sneakers as he was escorted by a police officer to get his mugshot taken.
News broke that same day that Duggar was awaiting extradition to Bay County, Florida, after a 14-year-old girl recalled several alleged incidents when she was 9 years old. Investigators were contacted by a detective from the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas after the girl submitted a claim alleging that Duggar sexually abused her during a 2020 family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The girl claimed Duggar apologized for his actions and said no further incidents occurred at the time. Authorities were alerted to the allegations when the victim’s father confronted the former reality star earlier this month. Duggar once again admitted his actions to both the father and to Tontitown detectives and was 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.
The Duggars entered the public eye with their TLC show 19 Kids and Counting. They later weathered controversy when Joseph’s brother Josh Duggar was arrested for a sex crime in 2021. The eldest Duggar sibling pleaded not guilty to charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. He was later sentenced to 151 months in prison, which he is still currently serving.
Josh, 38, spoke out from behind bars about his brother’s arrest.
Josh’s lawyer told the Daily Mail on Friday, March 20, that he was “deeply saddened” to learn Joseph was charged. Josh went on to slam the “false accusations” against his brother following “stigma.”
“He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life,” the statement on Josh’s behalf continued. “He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”
Jill Duggar also broke her silence in a blog post.
“We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest,” she wrote on Thursday, March 19. “We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020.”
Jill, 34, and husband Derick Dillard were “shocked and heartbroken” over the allegations.
“We strongly condemn abuse. We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved,” the message continued. “Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family. We pray God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead.”
Joseph made his first court appearance on Friday via Zoom. He did not enter a plea and waived his right to an extradition hearing, meaning that he agreed to be transferred to Florida to face charges.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
