Joseph Duggar reveals he's in solitary after arrest for allegedly molesting girl, 9

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Mar 28, 2026

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Joseph Duggar in a jailhouse phone call with his wife revealed he has spent most of his time in solitary confinement following his arrest for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in Florida more than five years ago.

“I’ve been spending a lot of time reading the Bible, they got me a Bible in here,” Duggar told his wife, Kendra Duggar, per a recording obtained by People. “I’m in solitary. I’m in the cell 23 hours of the day. It’s like an 8-by-10 area.”

The “19 Kids and Counting” alum added: “I’ve been able to read a lot, actually, and resting some, but I’m not sleeping great through the night.”

Kendra, who has been married to Duggar for eight years, responded to his comments with sympathy.

“Aw,” she said.

“It’s good to hear from you,” she continued, after Duggar told her it was “good to hear your voice.”

The call was made on March 20 around 8 p.m., just hours after 27-year-old Kendra was released from police custody following her own arrest on four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment. Just days before that, her 31-year-old husband was arrested in Tontitown, Arkansas, after an unidentified girl accused him of sexual assault. Duggar was reportedly confronted by the victim’s father, who got him to confess to the misconduct.

The girl, now 14 years old, said she was on vacation in 2020 with her family in Panama City Beach when Duggar groomed her and touched her inappropriately. At one point, he “asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket,” according to a statement from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

“During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs,” the statement added.

Duggar at the time was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

During the subsequent investigation, authorities inspected the home Duggar shares with his wife, where they found locks to rooms were “on the exterior of the doors,” a source told People. This led to Kendra’s arrest on March 20 on separate charges that were also filed against her husband.