19 Kids & Counting alum Joseph Duggar has been charged with child molestation. FOX station KTVU reports the TLC staple is facing charges after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 Florida vacation.
Joseph, 31, is charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old, as well as lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older, per the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. He is currently awaiting extradition to Bay County to face the charges.
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Investigators say the now 14-year-old victim had participated in a forensic review where she disclosed the incidents involving Joseph. The incidents reportedly occurred while on a family vacation to Panama City Beach when she was 9 years old.
The victim’s father confronted Joseph about the incidents this week when he then allegedly admitted his actions to the father and detectives. Regarding the incident, the victim told police her family was staying at a home on Danny Drive when Joseph allegedly asked her to sit on his lap several times. During another point in the vacation, Joseph allegedly asked the victim to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket and then molested the girl. She claims the inappropriate behavior continued on throughout the trip until one day Joseph apologized to her for his actions.
It’s unclear how Joseph and the victim know one another. Investigators don’t know currently if there are more victims. This isn’t the first major scandal within the family.
Their downfall began in 2015 when it was revealed that the eldest Duggar son, Josh, molested underage girls, which included four of his sisters and a babysitter. Their reality show was canned, but a spinoff, Counting On, aired for multiple seasons.
Their parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, admitted they knew of the incidents involving Josh and instead of reporting the crimes, they opted for internal church counseling. An Arkansas detective discovered child porn files were being shared from a computer traced to Josh, which included images of child abuse, including toddlers. He is currently serving a 12 ½ year prison sentence after being convicted of downloading child sexual abuse material.
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