Joseph Duggar, a former cast member of the TLC series 19 Kids and Counting, has been arrested over allegations he molested a 9-year-old girl in Florida in 2020, authorities said. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office said the 31-year-old was arrested on Wednesday accused of repeated unlawful sexual activity in Panama City Beach. The victim, now 14, reported the alleged abuse this week to police in Arkansas, prompting an investigation that led to an arrest warrant. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the girl told investigators that Duggar later apologized, and she said the alleged abuse ended after that. Duggar faces charges including lewd and lascivious molestation and is awaiting extradition to Florida. The case adds to past controversies surrounding the Duggar family. The long-running TLC show was canceled in 2015 following abuse allegations involving Josh Duggar, the older brother of Joseph, who was accused of molesting five girls, four of whom were his sisters. No criminal charges resulted from the case, but he was later convicted in a separate child exploitation case and sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
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