Duggar, 31, is currently in custody after a girl accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2020 when she was 9-years-old
Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Office via AP
NEED TO KNOW
- Joseph Duggar is facing new criminal charges in Arkansas after being arrested on March 18 in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a minor in Florida
- A spokesperson for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas tells PEOPLE that Joseph is charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment
- Duggar, 31, is currently in custody in Arkansas awaiting extradition to Florida and made his first court appearance on Friday
Joseph Duggar is now facing criminal charges in Arkansas.
The embattled father-of-four, 31, has been charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment, a spokesperson for the Washington County Sheriff's Office tells PEOPLE.
No additional details were provided, but these charges come after investigators spent most of Thursday searching Duggar's home.
A source close to the investigation tells PEOPLE the latest charges are unrelated to the charge Duggar is facing in Florida.
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The search of Joseph's home occurred after authorities in Florida sent a warrant to officials in Arkansas stating that Duggar was being charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old conducted by a person 18 years or older.
That warrant was sent on the same day a 14-year-old went to the police in Arkansas to report an alleged sexual assault involving herself and Duggar that happened in Panama City Beach, Fla., in 2020 when she was 9, according to a statement from the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
Police in Arkansas then contacted the BCSO to inform them of the allegations, and deputies responded with a warrant for Joseph’s arrest.
The BCSO alleged that Joseph engaged in “unlawful sexual activity” with the girl after asking her to sit on his lap while on vacation.
The child also told officials that Duggar then "asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket," according to the BCSO statement, then "manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals" and "would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs."
Joseph waived extradition on March 20 during his brief court appearance and is being held without bail at the Washington County Detention Center.
He will likely be extradited to Florida and appear in court on the charge there before being arraigned in Arkansas.
Related: Joseph Duggar Booking Video: Accused Child Molester Talks About Brother Josh, Jokes With Deputy After Arrest
Related: Amy Duggar King 'Sickened' but 'Not Surprised' by Cousin Joseph's Arrest on Child Molestation Charges
Duggar spent most of his life in the public eye, appearing on all four iterations of his family's popular TLC series 19 Kids & Counting starting at the age of 13.
In 2017, an entire episode was dedicated to his wedding to Kendra Caldwell.
The wedding came just two years after it was revealed that the family's eldest child, son Josh, had molested four of his sisters when they were children. He apologized for his previous actions in 2015 and never faced charges in connection with those claims.
Josh's troubles did not end there, as he faced a federal trial in 2021 where a jury convicted him of receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
At the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Josh had "repeatedly downloaded and viewed images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including images of prepubescent children and depictions of sadistic abuse," according to the Department of Justice.
Josh was sentenced to 12 years in prison and is now serving out his sentence at a low-security facility in Texas.
Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Department
As for Joseph, he does not yet have an attorney and only one member of his family has commented on his arrest — his sister Jill Dillard.
"We strongly condemn abuse. 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,” Dillard wrote. “We pray God gives her strength, comfort and hope, and that she is able to get all the help and support she needs and deserves in the days ahead.”
Dillard also went on to offer her support for her brother's wife Kendra and their four children.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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