Two of Joe Duggar’s family members listed as official witnesses after star arrested for ‘molesting 9-year-old girl’
TWO of Joe Duggar’s family members are among the witnesses set to be questioned in his child molestation case, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
The Counting On alum, 31, is facing two charges of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a child under the age of 12, stemming from an alleged 2020 incident in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The alleged victim participated in a forensic interview where she claimed Joe had molested her when she was just nine years old, according to an arrest affidavit.
Joe was booked in March 2026 and later released on a $600,000 bond.
Newly filed court records obtained by The U.S. Sun show defense attorneys have lined up depositions for four key witnesses as Joe’s criminal case moves forward.
Investigator Darrell “Chase” Norris, Christina Caldwell, Paul Gene Caldwell, and Thomas Lowe are all scheduled to be questioned on September 14, according to the notice filed in Bay County Court.
The Caldwells are the parents of Joe’s wife, Kendra Duggar, the mother of his four children.
The couple rose to prominence through their association with the Duggar family after Kendra married Joe in 2017 following a courtship featured on Counting On.
The fourth witness listed is Thomas Lowe, who is scheduled to be deposed by telephone.
His association with the case has not been disclosed in court records.
At his most recent court hearing in Florida earlier this month, he did not appear in person and was represented by his attorney, Albert J. Sauline III.
Sauline told the court he had a “waiver of presence” for Joe, although he didn’t explain why.
He said the state had received all of the discovery in the case ahead of his upcoming trial.
“There are only five witnesses listed in the case, one of which is of course the juvenile alleged victim, so realistically we’re looking at only four witnesses to be deposed minus any court order allowing a deposition of the alleged victim,” the lawyer said.
He was granted a return date of September 15 at 9am.
The victim’s father allegedly confronted Joe, who admitted he inappropriately touched the girl, according to reports.
The alleged admission was reportedly repeated on a recorded phone line to Arkansas detectives.
Joe was then arrested in March 2026 in Arkansas, where he lives, before being extradited to Florida.
During an interview, the accuser told police Joe repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap, and next to him on a sofa, covering them with a blanket during the abuse.
“During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs,” Bay County Sheriff’s Office alleged.
“The victim stated Duggar eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents stopped after the apology.”
Joe’s father, Jim Bob Duggar, stepped in to help post the massive bail amount and secure his release.
However, Joe is barred from having any unsupervised contact with minors – which also applies to his own four children.
He must also legally stay at least 500 feet away from the home of his alleged victim.
His team argued that the ban on unsupervised contact with his children should also be lifted, but the judge firmly rejected both motions.
Meanwhile, Joe and Kendra are also facing separate Arkansas state charges of four counts of child endangerment and false imprisonment.
The couple was arrested by the Tontitown Police Department in March and has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which are not of a sexual nature.
Details of the case are not yet clear but the next hearing is set for August.
The Duggar family rose to fame on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting, which chronicled the lives of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar as they raised their 19 children.
Joe and Kendra’s legal ordeal is the latest controversy to surround the reality TV family.
The Duggars’ public downfall began in 2015 when TLC canceled 19 Kids and Counting after it emerged that eldest son Josh Duggar had molested several girls as a teenager.
No charges were filed at the time because the statute of limitations had already expired.
But in 2021, Josh was convicted on federal charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.
He was later sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
The conviction marked another major blow for the famous family and ultimately led TLC to cancel Counting On, the Duggar spin-off that followed the older children after 19 Kids and Counting ended.
The U.S. Sun was the first to reveal the show’s cancellation.