Joseph Duggar finds himself in a similar ordeal after pointing fingers at his brother, Josh Duggar.
The reality TV star has been arrested after serious allegations were made against him about abusing a minor. The disturbing misconduct has made headlines just like his brothers did years ago, before he was eventually convicted to serve time in federal prison.
Joseph Duggar shied away from the media just before his brother, Josh’s, arrest and has kept a low profile since. The recent news of the sexual abuse comes about five years after his brother was accused and convicted of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Joseph Duggar Reportedly Spoke Out Against His Brother’s Crimes
In 2015, Joseph called out his brother on national TV after the swirling accusations of sexual misconduct became widespread. Josh was accused of touching five girls inappropriately, including two of his sisters, Jill and Jessa.
The “19 Kids and Counting” star spoke about his brother’s misconduct, highlighting how he felt when he heard the news. He said that he was heartbroken and surprised Josh had been “living such a secret life.” Appearing on TLC’s spinoff “Jill & Jessa: Counting On” eleven years ago, Joseph said he would never have expected such behavior from his own brother.
Now facing his own allegations for a related crime, Joseph has found himself in the same boat he was astonished to see Josh’s name tied to. “Whenever somebody you respect the most is willing to get up and proclaim what we believe as Christians, about being true to your wife, you’d never think that that’s the person who’s involved in it,” Joseph said in a clip years ago.
Josh Duggar Previously Admitted His Wrongs
TMZ reports that before his conviction, Josh confessed that he “acted inexcusably,” admitting that his actions hurt others, including members of his own family and friends. It was later shared that after he admitted his actions, his family arranged for counselling for him and those affected.
Due to the statute of limitations, Josh was not prosecuted for the crimes that year. In 2021, he was convicted of knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography. As a result, the media personality was sentenced to serve more than twelve years in federal prison.
The trial for the case kicked off on November 30, 2021, in Arkansas, and in less than 10 days, Josh was convicted and sentenced. He is currently serving time at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Seagoville in Texas.
Inside Joseph Duggar‘s Arrest
Joseph was taken into custody over claims made by a 14-year-old girl alleging that he behaved inappropriately with her when she was 9 years old. The girl told investigators that the incident occurred while she was staying with her family in Panama City Beach, Florida. The claims were brought to the authorities’ attention through the Tontitown Police Department on March 16.
Since the location of the alleged events fell outside the police department’s jurisdiction, the police department handed the case over to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. Further investigations have been conducted, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office has shared that the incident was not a one-time occurrence but occurred over time while Joseph was vacationing with his family.
The Blast reports that, according to officials, the TLC show star had asked the girl to sit beside him on a couch, covered them with a blanket, and “grazed her genitals.” He also “repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,” and continuously rubbed “his hands on her thighs.”
The minor’s father confronted the 31-year-old, and just like his brother Joseph, “allegedly admitted his actions to the father and Tontitown detectives.” Joseph has been charged with molestation of a child under 12 and lewd conduct by a person 18 years or older and remains in custody.
The ’19 Kids And Counting’ Star Went Off The Grid Shortly Before Josh’s Trial
Just before Josh’s trial began, Joseph suddenly stopped posting on social media. He and his wife, Kendra, stopped sharing photos on their family’s Instagram page in November 2021, and their last post, dated November 3, 2021, marked their daughter’s second birthday.
The couple opened the account in February 2019 and had consistently shared captured family moments featuring three of their kids, Garrett, Addison, and Brooklyn, over the years. Their second son, Justus, born in 2022, has never been featured on that account. His birth was largely confirmed by family photos shared by other members of the Duggar family.
Page Six notes that, despite their zero online presence, Joseph and Kendra appeared in Jessa’s holiday festivities vlog, which she posted on YouTube on February 9. The video appears to have been filmed at Christmas, as Joseph wore a black bodysuit covered in festive lights, while Kendra dressed in all green for the family’s annual Christmas costume party.
Joseph Duggar’s Brother Is Not Having A Swirl Time Behind Bars
Last year, the convicted Duggar brother came forward with an appeal claiming financial hardship. He alleged that his family stopped sending him money and that he has “no personal or real property possessions in his ownership.”
The Blast shared that in the filed court documents, Josh claimed he had just $0.22 in his account and since he had no form of employment, there was no way he could raise his balance. Josh defended himself in the case, in which he also revealed that he has other debts hanging over his head, including “legal restitution and fines” from his previous court proceedings.
The reality TV star admitted that he does some work while he is behind bars, but does not receive any pay from them at the time of the filing. The document read “Movant currently performs a prison work assignment but does not receive any compensation. Therefore, Movant has no employment income to report.”