Details from the phone call between Joseph Duggar and his alleged victim’s father have been revealed.
According to an affidavit obtained by People on Wednesday, March 25, Deputy Sheriff Darrell Norris “requested” that the father of the 14-year-old girl who accused Duggar, 31, of sexual abuse call the 19 Kids and Counting alum to confront him about the allegations.
These calls, known as “pretext phone calls,” are often used in rape and sexual assault cases, in which the alleged victim calls their alleged abuser while under the supervision of an officer, recording the conversation without the alleged abuser’s knowledge.The purpose of these calls is to elicit a potentially incriminating statement or statements from the alleged abuser.
The father agreed to the “pretext call,” at which timeDuggar allegedly “admitted his actions, stating he touched the victim over her clothing,” per the docs. Duggar also “admitted his intentions” with the child “were not pure.”
Following the call and Duggar’s alleged statements, a judge granted an arrest warrant for the reality TV star that was sent to police in Arkansas. Duggar was subsequently taken into custody on Thursday, March 19, on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
In the affidavit, the victim claimed that she experienced “several instances of sexual abuse” with Duggar when she was 9 years old. Duggar was allegedly among the many guests present at a family vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2020.
The accuser alleged that Duggar “asked [her] to sit on his lap, numerous times” during the trip. The girl claimed she “would sit on the defendant’s lap,” and Duggar would “cradle [her] with his arms. She also alleged that Duggar asked her to “sit on the couch beside [him],” at which point he would cover the pair with a blanket so he could allegedly touch her inappropriately.
The girl claimed Duggar later apologized for his actions,” adding that “the incidents stopped occurring.”
At the time, Joseph was a 25-year-old father of two. His wife, Kendra Duggar, was pregnant with their third baby. (The couple share four children: sons Garrett and Justus as well as daughters Addison and Brooklyn.)
Joseph appeared in court virtually the following day, did not enter a plea and waived his right to an extradition hearing. He is currently awaiting extradition to Florida.
Following Joseph’s arrest, Us Weekly confirmed that Kendra, 27, was taken into custody. She is facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor (second degree) and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment. Kendra was released on a $1,470 bond.
A spokesperson for the Duggar family told Us in a statement, “[Kendra’s] is a misdemeanor charge totally unrelated to the Florida case.”
A source with knowledge of the case echoed similar sentiments while giving some insight into Kendra’s legal issue.
“After his charge, they automatically do a home study if minors live there. They came to her house,” the insider exclusively told Us. “Apparently, they had two rooms where the lock of the doorknob was on the outside instead of inside. They arrested her and took her kids for that, saying it’s evidence that she wrongly detains her kids.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
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