One Tontitown, Ark. resident said “19 Kids and Counting” star Joseph — now charged with molesting a 9-year-old girl — “seemed like a nice guy”

Neighbors react to Joseph and Kendra Duggar’s arrests: ‘What else don’t we know about the Duggars?’

One Tontitown, Ark. resident said "19 Kids and Counting" star Joseph — now charged with molesting a 9-year-old girl — "seemed like a nice guy"

By Sharareh Drury

April 1, 2026 2:15 p.m. ET

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Joseph and Kendra Duggar. Credit:

Little Duggar Family/Instagram

The arrests of Joseph Duggar and wife Kendra Duggar have shocked neighbors familiar with the former TLC stars.

Speaking with PEOPLE, residents of the Duggars' Tontitown, Ark. subdivision opened up about the former TLC stars, expressing shock over allegations of child molestation and charges of endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment.

"He seemed like a nice guy," one neighbor said of Joseph. "His kids are always up and down the sidewalks ... playing like normal."

“I thought it was neat to have that many kids. I enjoyed watching all the shows," a local named David Pfahler told PEOPLE. Following the Duggars' arrests, however, Pfahler reconsidered that perspective: "I'm thinking: What else don't we know about the Duggars?"

Joseph Duggar and Kendra Duggar's mugshots.

Washington County Sheriff's Department (2)

On March 18, Joseph was arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. Per the Bay County Sheriff's Office, Joseph is accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl several times during a family vacation to Panama City, Fla., in 2020.

He was released from a Florida jail on $600,000 bond on Tuesday afternoon after pleading not guilty to child molestation charges.

Kendra was detained and booked on March 20 on four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment, both in the second degree. She was released the following day after posting a $1,470 bond, according to jail records.

Amy Duggar King cries learning cousin Joseph Duggar's wife Kendra was also arrested: 'There's more to this story'

Jill Duggar Dillard's family speaks out after Joseph Duggar is arrested on child molestation charges

Joseph and Kendra Duggar.

Little Duggar Family/Instagram

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Family members have also spoken up amid Joseph and Kendra's legal issues, with Joseph's aunt Deanna Duggar saying she wants to see Kendra divorce her husband.

"The way I feel about it is, I think Kendra should divorce him," Deanna, who is *19 Kids and Counting* patriarch Jim Bob Duggar’s sister, told *Page Six*. "She needs a new life. The best thing to do would be to divorce him and go on with her life."

Deanna's daughter, Amy Duggar King, has said she stands with the couple's children and the alleged victim in Florida. "That's what matters right now is the kids' safety ... That is where my heart lies and I'm just going to lay there," she told *TMZ*, calling the situation "heartbreaking."

Joseph's sister Jill Duggar Dillard addressed his arrest on the Dillard Family blog. "We were shocked yesterday evening to learn of Jill’s brother (Joseph Duggar’s) arrest," the post began. "We first learned of anything related to his charges yesterday via a text from a friend who messaged us about the recent media reports of Joseph’s arrest and his alleged confession to molesting a juvenile female in 2020. We are shocked and heartbroken."

*If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to **rainn.org**.*

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