Joseph Duggar Arrested on Child Molestation Charges; Sister Jill Duggar Dillard Issues Family Statement

As of March 20, 2026, Joseph Duggar, 31, has been arrested in Florida on accusations that he molested a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation, authorities said. His sister, Jill Duggar Dillard, released a family statement Thursday — her first public comments since the arrest — expressing sympathy for the victim and saying the family was stunned to learn of the allegations through media reports.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office announced that Duggar faces charges of molestation of a victim younger than 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior by a person 18 or older. Investigators say the now-14-year-old told detectives the alleged incidents occurred on multiple occasions in Panama City Beach in 2020, describing contact in which Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap or beside him, used a blanket to cover them, and touched her thigh and groin. Authorities say the girl reported the episodes stopped after Duggar apologized. The girl's father confronted Duggar on Tuesday; the sheriff's office stated Duggar admitted the conduct to the father and to Tontitown detectives. The arrest was carried out Wednesday, and the family statement condemned abuse while affirming support for the rule of law.

The Duggar family became widely known through the reality series "19 Kids and Counting," which aired from 2008 to 2015. Another family member, Josh Duggar, was federally sentenced in 2022 for possession of child sexual abuse material. The family urged that the victim receive support and help. Anyone affected by sexual assault can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or access RAINN's online chat service for assistance.