Joseph Duggar arrest footage released after child molestation charges
Joseph Duggar arrest footage released after child molestation charges
Footage of Joseph Duggar’s arrest has been released, two days after the former reality star was detained on child molestation charges.
In a video obtained by Page Six on Friday, the “Counting On” alum was searched and booked at Arkansas’ Washington County Jail.
The somber 31-year-old wore a gray long-sleeve shirt, black pants and sneakers as he followed a cop’s orders on Wednesday.
He sported the same shirt in his mugshot, which made headlines Thursday.
Duggar has been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
He is awaiting extradition to Bay County, Fla.
Joseph allegedly molested a 9-year-old during a 2020 family vacation to Panama City Beach, Fla.
The now-14-year-old victim “participated in a forensic interview, where she disclosed several incidents involving Duggar,” the Bay County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement.
When her father confronted Joseph, he reportedly confessed.
His eldest brother, Josh Duggar, is a convicted sex offender currently serving time in a Texas prison — and the disgraced 38-year-old spoke out in his defense.
Josh’s lawyer released a statement on his client’s behalf, reading, “He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life. He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”
Their sister Jill Duggar, however, posted about her “shock” and “heartbreak” via her family’s blog Thursday.
She and husband Derick Dillard wrote that they “strongly condemn abuse,” adding, “We support the rule of law and hope that justice will be achieved. Our hearts go out to the innocent juvenile victim of this unspeakable crime and her family.”
Jill, who was sexually abused by Josh decades ahead of his child porn arrest in 2021, also shared “love” for Joseph’s wife, Kendra Caldwell, and their four children.
The rest of the Duggar family members have yet to react publicly to the scandal.
