Joseph Duggar was arrested for child molestation last week after a conversation with the alleged victim’s father — and details of his confessional phone call have been revealed.
The March 18 chat happened at the behest of Deputy Sheriff Darrell Norris, per an affidavit obtained by People on Wednesday.
A detective was present for the talk, which was recorded in the hopes of catching Duggar, 31, saying something incriminating — as he allegedly had to the father in a separate call the previous day.
The man’s 14-year-old daughter described multiple alleged instances of abuse in a forensic interview on March 18, at which point the victim’s father was instructed to call Duggar under officer supervision.
According to the docs, the “19 Kids and Counting” alum “admitted his actions, stating he touched the victim over her clothing” during a 2020 Florida trip.
The former reality star allegedly went on to “admit his intentions” with the then-9-year-old “were not pure.”
A warrant for the “Counting On” alum’s arrest was issued after the phone call, and he was detained in Arkansas on March 18.
Duggar has been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a victim younger than the age of 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 or older.
The alleged victim claimed he repeatedly “grazed [her] vagina” with his hand while covering them both with a blanket and pulling up her dress.
Additionally, Duggar has been accused of rubbing the child’s thighs, asking her to sit on his lap and, later, apologizing.
On March 20, the former TLC personality and his wife, Kendra Duggar, were charged with endangering a minor and false imprisonment, reportedly over “lock[s] of the doorknob on the outside instead of inside” in multiple rooms.
He is being extradited to Florida.
Many of Joseph’s family members have publicly denounced his alleged actions, including Jinger Duggar and Jill Duggar.
As for Josh Duggar, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material, he railed against his brother’s legal troubles as “false accusations [that] can destroy a life.”
Parents Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar have not yet released a statement.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
