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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Politics
Anna Katrina Sevilla

Six Years of Silence: Why Allegations Against Joseph Duggar Only Surfaced After a Teen's Shocking Disclosure

Joseph Duggar's crimes committed in 2002 and 2003 have only been made public over a decade later (Credit: X)

In March 2026, news broke that Joseph Duggar, once a familiar face on 19 Kids and Counting, was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation involving a minor, now 14 years old. The alleged incident occurred in 2020 during a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, but went unreported for years until the victim came forward during a forensic interview.

​In an announcement made by the Bay County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, 31-year-old Joseph Duggar was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behaviour conducted by a person 18 years or older, per a report by People.

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