19 Kids and Counting star Joseph Duggar was released from a Florida jail Tuesday after making his first appearance in the state on molestation charges involving a child under the age of 12, his lawyer said.
Duggar, 31, was arrested earlier this month in Arkansas and was transferred to the Bay County Jail in Panama City, Fla., to face charges of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 12 and lewd and lascivious contact.
He posted a US$600,000 bond after appearing remotely from the Bay County Jail for his first appearance after being booked into custody earlier the same day. He is due back in court on April 20.
Judge Brantley Clark on Tuesday also barred Duggar from having unsupervised contact with any person under 18, including his own four children, court documents viewed by The Associated Press show.
Duggar pleaded not guilty to the child molestation charges and requested a jury trial in a written plea on March 29, People and US Weekly report. Global News has not viewed the written plea.
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His lawyer, Albert Sauline, confirmed that Duggar was scheduled to fly home to Arkansas later on Tuesday.
“Our No. 1 goal is to make sure he is treated fairly,” especially because of his celebrity status, Sauline said.
“On March 18, 2026, Bay County investigators were contacted by a detective with the Tontitown Police Department regarding a report of past sexual abuse,” a Bay County Sheriff’s Office news release said. “The 14-year-old victim participated in a forensic interview, where she disclosed several incidents involving Duggar that occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach when she was 9-years-old.”
According to the investigation, the incident occurred in 2020 while the family was staying at a residence on Danny Drive, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said.
The victim, who is now 14, told police the incidents stopped after Duggar eventually apologized for his actions.
“Investigators discovered the victim’s father confronted Duggar about these incidents on March 17th, 2026. Duggar admitted his actions to the victim’s father and to Tontitown Detectives,” police added.
Duggar was being held in solitary confinement at Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Ark., until March 27, when he was released.
He was officially booked by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida on March 31, according to jail records, viewed by Global News.
Earlier this week, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar broke their silence following the arrest of their son.
A spokesperson for the family told multiple outlets on March 30 that Jim Bob, 60 and Michelle, 59, are “heartbroken over this entire situation.”
“Right now, they are focused on loving their family and helping Kendra and her children during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said, referencing Duggar’s wife, Kendra, and her four children. “They are praying for the victim. They ask for privacy and appreciate the kind words and prayers offered by so many.”
Global News has reached out to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.
— With files from The Associated Press
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