Joseph Duggar’s recent arrest has brought to light that he and his wife, Kendra Duggar, quietly welcomed a fourth child, making them a family of six.
The former 19 Kids and Counting star, 31, was taken into custody on Wednesday, March 18, in Washington County, Arkansas. According to a statement from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, he faces charges related to inappropriate conduct involving a child under the age of 12, as well as indecent behavior by an adult.
Records show that Duggar was booked into the Washington County jail at 3:59 p.m. local time, and he is listed as having four children.
Joseph and Kendra, who married in 2017, had previously shared news of their first three children publicly. Their son Garrett David was born in 2018, followed by daughter Addison Renee in 2019, and daughter Brooklyn Praise in 2021. After that, the couple largely withdrew from social media, with their last Instagram post appearing in 2021 to celebrate Addison’s second birthday.
The charges stem from an alleged incident in 2020 involving a 9-year-old girl who was vacationing with her family in Panama City Beach, Florida. Authorities claim Duggar asked the child to sit on his lap, and later to sit beside him on a couch under a blanket. During this time, he allegedly engaged in inappropriate physical contact.
According to officials, the victim said Duggar later apologized, and the behavior stopped afterward.
The case moved forward after the girl, now 14, took part in a forensic interview regarding past abuse allegations. Her father reportedly confronted Duggar, who is said to have admitted his actions both to him and to investigators.
Duggar is currently in custody, though details about a possible extradition have not yet been announced.
This development follows earlier legal troubles within the Duggar family. Joseph’s brother, Josh Duggar, was sentenced in 2021 to 12 and a half years in prison after being convicted of receiving and possessing illegal child abuse material. Authorities stated he used the dark web and file-sharing platforms to obtain such content. He had previously admitted in 2015 to inappropriate behavior involving minors and to marital infidelity.
