‘Doesn’t Matter Who He Is’: Bay County Sheriff Speaks Out With Strong Statement on Joseph Duggar’s Arrest
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – 19 Kids and Counting TV show star Joseph Duggar was arrested Wednesday for sex-related crimes against a minor that allegedly occurred in Panama City Beach.
Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford says his office was contacted on Wednesday by a detective with Tontitown Police in Arkansas.
He says during a recent interview, a 14-year-old girl reported she was sexually abused back in 2020—while in Panama City Beach—when she was just 9 years old.
“We work, unfortunately, way too many of these types of cases, and I don’t care if he’s got a TV show, or who he is, or what he’s done, he’s committed an illegal act, and he’s going to be held accountable for that,” said Sheriff Ford.
The victim said that during a family vacation, Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap. Investigators say he also had her sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket.
Duggar then allegedly manipulated her underwear, grazed her genitals, and continued to rub his hands on her thighs. The victim says he eventually apologized and the contact stopped.
Although the report was made in Arkansas, investigators say the incident happened in Bay County—putting it under the sheriff’s office jurisdiction.
After reviewing the case, the sheriff’s office submitted an arrest warrant to the Tontitown police at approximately 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The Tontitown Police Department sent NewsChannel 7 the following statement.
Sheriff Ford says Duggar is currently being held in Arkansas, while he awaits extradition to Bay County. He says that the process could take one to two weeks. Once here, Duggar will be booked into the Bay County jail. A judge will then decide if he will be granted bond—and at what amount—before the case moves forward through the courts.
