Joseph Duggar’s Wife Arrested In Arkansas As Both Face New Criminal Charges
Kendra Duggar, wife of former “19 Kids and Counting” TV star Joseph Duggar, has been arrested in Arkansas. Both she and her husband are now facing misdemeanor child endangerment and false imprisonment charges.
This is in addition to the child molestation charge against Joseph Duggar in Florida. Authorities say the Arkansas and Florida cases are unrelated, though the Arkansas investigation was launched shortly after the Florida incident.
Kendra Duggar, 27, was booked into the Washington County Detention Center late Friday afternoon and released on $1,470 bond about 90 minutes later. She faces four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment.
READ: Joseph Duggar of ‘19 Kids and Counting’ faces child sex abuse charges
Joseph Duggar, 31, was taken into custody last Wednesday and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a child under 12 in Florida. He also faces the same charges as his wife in Arkansas.
Both Kendra and Joseph Duggar are scheduled to appear in Elm Springs District Court on April 29.
On Friday, police in Tonitown, Arkansas, arrived at the Duggar family compound in Washington County with an arrest warrant for Kendra. She was not home at the time but was later taken into custody, according to media reports.
Joseph Duggar was already in custody in Arkansas, awaiting a transfer to Florida. Last week, he waived his right to an extradition hearing, and authorities now have 30 days to transfer him.
Florida authorities allege Joseph molested a then-9-year-old girl multiple times during a 2020 family vacation there.
The girl, now 14, disclosed the alleged abuse during an interview with law enforcement. The child’s father subsequently confronted Joseph Duggar about the conduct. Duggar admitted to the allegations, according to investigators. Tontitown detectives had the father call Duggar while a detective listened on the line. Duggar again admitted to the actions.
The Duggars rose to prominence on the TLC reality series “19 Kids and Counting,” which chronicled the conservative Christian family’s life in Tontitown. TLC canceled the show in 2015 after public revelations that Joseph’s older brother, Josh Duggar, had molested five minors — including four of his sisters — as a teenager.
Josh Duggar, 38, was convicted Dec. 9, 2021, on charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. He was sentenced May 25, 2022, to 12½ years in federal prison and remains incarcerated.
From prison, Josh Duggar responded to his brother’s arrest through his attorney, Beau Brindley. His statement to the Daily Mail cast doubt on the allegations against Joseph.
“Josh understands the stigma of being accused,” Brindley told the outlet. “He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life. He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”
Joseph’s sister Jill Dillard offered a sharply contrasting response on her family blog. “We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of … (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest,” she wrote. She and husband Derick Dillard described themselves as “shocked and heartbroken” over the charges.
“We strongly condemn abuse,” she continued. “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.”
Cousin Amy Duggar King also responded publicly. “In light of the recent allegations involving my cousin, Joseph Duggar, I am sickened, heartbroken, and deeply angry,” she said in a statement obtained by People magazine.
She added, “I am not surprised that another alleged predator has emerged from this toxic system.”
This article was originally published at The Roys Report.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.