Joseph Duggar of "19 Kids and Counting" appears in court on child abuse charges

Former world TV prima Joseph Duggar connected Friday waived his close to an extradition proceeding successful Arkansas, which acceptable successful question his transportation to Florida to look a kid molestation charge.

Duggar, 31, was arrested Thursday successful Tontitown, Arkansas, wherever helium lives with his family. Authorities successful Bay County, Florida, present person 30 days to transportation him from the jailhouse successful Washington County, Arkansas, authorities said.

Joseph Duggar is charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour connected a kid nether 12 years old, according to an apprehension affidavit from the Bay County Sheriff's Office successful Panama City, Florida.

His apprehension comes astir 5 years aft his older member Josh was convicted of downloading kid intersexual maltreatment images. The brothers and their household starred successful the TLC amusement "19 Kids and Counting," which was canceled aft Josh Duggar's arrest.

Tontitown constabulary officers contacted sheriff's deputies successful the Florida Panhandle connected Wednesday, saying they had interviewed a 14-year-old miss who told them that Duggar had molested her respective times during a household travel to Panama City Beach erstwhile she was property 9, the affidavit said.

The child's begetter confronted Duggar astir the maltreatment this week, and the begetter said Duggar admitted to it, the affidavit said. Police officers successful Tontitown had the begetter telephone Duggar with a detective connected the line, and helium again admitted to the actions.

There was nary online tribunal docket successful Florida for Duggar connected Friday. Nobody responded to inquiries made Thursday and Friday connected the Duggar household media petition website.

The Tontitown Police Department said successful a connection Thursday that the probe remains open. The constabulary department, located successful a 4,300-person municipality successful the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, deferred further questions to the Bay County Sheriff's Office successful Florida.

In a connection Friday, the household of Jill Duggar Dillard, Joseph Duggar's sister, said it was "shocked and heartbroken" to larn of the arrests.

"We powerfully condemn abuse," the connection read. 'We enactment the regularisation of instrumentality and anticipation that justness volition beryllium achieved. Our hearts spell retired to the guiltless juvenile unfortunate of this unspeakable transgression and her family."

TLC's "19 Kids and Counting" followed the lives of devout Baptists Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and their 19 children, each of whose names began with the missive "J."

TLC canceled the amusement successful 2015 pursuing allegations that Josh Duggar had molested 4 of his sisters and a babysitter years earlier. Josh Duggar's parents said helium had confessed to the fondling and apologized.

He was sentenced successful 2022 to astir 12 1/2 years successful situation connected 1 number each of receiving and possessing images portraying kid intersexual abuse.

In:

• Child Sex Abuse
• Florida