Joseph Duggar Pleads Not Guilty on Child Molestation Charges

On Tuesday morning, Joseph Duggar made his first court appearance since his arrest on child molestation charges.

Earlier this month, Joseph, 31, was arrested in Arkansas on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old, and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.

Joseph and his wife Kendra are also facing additional unrelated charges, including four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment.

Duggar appeared remotely from the Bay County Jail in Florida, hours after he was booked and extradited from Arkansas.

Days before the court appearance, Duggar entered a written not guilty plea on all charges.

In the court docs, he also waived arraignment on all charges and requested a jury trial. 

Yesterday, Joseph’s parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar broke their silence on his arrest.

In a statement to Us Weekly, their rep said, "Jim Bob and Michelle are heartbroken over this entire situation. Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time. They are praying for the victim. They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many.”

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida revealed in a Facebook post that Joseph’s alleged crimes occurred with a then 9-year-old victim during a family vacation to Florida in 2020.

The post stated, "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. 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 law enforcement, at one point Joseph apologized to the alleged victim and the abuse stopped.

The post goes on, "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.”

The additional charges against Joseph and Kendra were brought after a home inspection stemming from Joseph’s arrest.