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Joseph Duggar, who starred in the reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” has been arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior for alleged sexual activity with a 9-year-old girl in Florida.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday that Duggar, 31, had been taken into custody after a police detective in Tonitown, Arkansas, contacted them about a report of sexual abuse.
“The 14-year-old victim participated in a forensic interview, where she disclosed several incidents involving Duggar that occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9-years-old,” the sheriff’s office said.
The victim reported that, in 2020, Duggar “repeatedly” requested that she sit on his lap and next to him on a couch.
“During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals,” officials said. “Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
The girl’s father confronted the former television star on Tuesday, after which Duggar reportedly confessed his actions to detectives in Tontitown. Duggar was subsequently arrested out of state.
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