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Joseph Duggar case takes new turn; ex-reality star 'used a blanket to hide, grope 9-year-old'

New details in the Joseph Duggar case reveal he allegedly groped a nine-year-old girl during a family vacation in Florida “under a blanket.”

Published on: Mar 27, 2026, 01:25:53 IST
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New details emerge in the Joseph Duggar case, as Radar Online reported that the accused used to cover himself and a nine-year-old girl with a blanket before allegedly groping her on a family vacation at Panama City Beach, Florida.

New details in the Joseph Duggar case reveal he allegedly groped a nine-year-old girl during a family vacation in Florida "under a blanket." (Instagram/ @littleduggarfamily)
New details in the Joseph Duggar case reveal he allegedly groped a nine-year-old girl during a family vacation in Florida "under a blanket." (Instagram/ @littleduggarfamily)

Last Monday, the 31-year-old former star of 19 Kids and Counting was taken into custody on suspicion of sexual misconduct against a child while on vacation in 2020.

Read more: Kendra and Joseph Duggar arrests: Duggar siblings open up about shocking charges

New details of the Joseph Duggar Florida incident

According to a report by RadarOnline, legal documents and interviews suggest that the victim, now 14, revealed to investigators that she suffered "several incidents of sexual abuse" when she was nine years old.

The affidavit, per RadarOnline, said, “Once the parties were covered, the defendant would pull the victim's dress up and touch the victim's thighs.”

The girl said that after being requested to sit next to Duggar, he "covered them with a blanket" and stroked her thighs before allegedly grazing her genitals over her underwear.

The victim also reported that during such improper interactions, Duggar's “hand was outside of her underwear” and often times “grazed (her) vagina.” The victim also reported that these incidents occurred "several times," allegedly leaving the child "confused" and "uncomfortable."

Duggar "eventually approached the victim and apologized for his actions," according to Duggar's accuser, and "the incidents stopped occurring."

Read more: Was Michelle Duggar arrested after confrontation with reporter in viral video?

Duggar admits to impure intentions towards the minor

The affidavit stated that the account of the child recorded in a forensic interview provided sufficient information to secure an arrest warrant against Joseph.

Duggar is also reported to have acknowledged touching the child "over her clothing" and acknowledged that his "intentions were not pure" in a later interview with her father and a detective.

The family members of the victim's family have also spoken publicly against Joseph since his arrest.

Duggar's wife, Kendra, 27, was also taken into custody and charged with four counts of second-degree false imprisonment and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child. After being detained for almost ninety minutes, she was released on bond.

Duggar has signed a document consenting to extradition to Florida, where he is accused of indecent and lascivious behavior, and he is currently facing the same allegations as his wife.

The Sun cited the Arkansas State Code to report that Class A offenses include second-degree false imprisonment and second-degree harming the welfare of a minor.

If Joe and Kendra are found guilty of those offenses, the maximum punishment for each charge is one year.

The remaining charges, which entail severe punishments, are being brought against Joe in Florida, The Sun reported.

The two accusations he faces there are classified as "life felonies" under the Sunshine State penal code.

  • Shirin Gupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shirin Gupta

    Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

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