Trigger Warning: This story contains mentions of CSAM and child sexual assault. 

Captain J. Bowen of the Tontitown Police Department is sharing details about the events that led to Wednesday’s arrest of former Counting On star Joseph Duggar.

As The Ashley reported earlier this week, the 31-year-old husband and father was apprehended Wednesday afternoon and booked into the Washington County Jail in Arkansas on charges of Lewd and Lascivious Behavior– Molestation of a Victim Less Than 12-Years-Old and Lewd and Lascivious Behavior Conducted By a Person 18 Years or Older. 

While Joseph was arrested in Arkansas, he is currently awaiting extradition to Bay County Florida, as this is where the past alleged abuse involving the former TLC star reportedly took place in 2020.  

On Thursday, Captain Bowen of the Tontitown Police Department recalled to KNWA and FOX24 News in Northwest Arkansas that his department received a call Wednesday regarding the alleged incident, and once it was determined that the incident hadn’t occurred in Tontitown, detectives proceeded to make contact with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. 

Captain Bowen noted that the BCSO issued a warrant and sent it to Tontitown Police, who then executed the warrant and ultimately arrested Joseph later that afternoon. 

As the BCSO reported on Wednesday, one of their detectives learned about Joseph’s alleged crimes when a now-14-year-old victim disclosed in a forensic interview several incidents involving Joseph that occurred during a 2020 family vacation in Panama City, Florida, when the teen was 9 years-old. The victim claimed that Joseph asked her repeatedly to sit on his lap during the trip, as well as next to him on a couch, and then covered them with a blanket. She went on to state that Joseph “manipulated” her underwear and “grazed her genitals,” and continued to rub his hands on her thighs. 

Joseph eventually apologized for his actions and the incidents reportedly stopped; however, investigators learned that the victim’s father confronted Joseph about the incidents earlier this week, at which point Joseph reportedly admitted his actions to the victim’s father and to Tontitown detectives. 

According to Captain Bowen, his department takes claims of this nature “very seriously.” While he acknowledged that detectives worked fast this week, he assured the public that things were also done right. 

“If we find out that there’s someone that might want to come in to our community and harm a child, then yes, we get on that pretty quick and we’re aggressive with it,” Captain Bowen said. “Our department does take this very seriously and as soon as the call came in yesterday, our detective jumped on it and made sure that it happened extremely fast.

“ … we did take our time and made sure things were done right, but we also acted quickly and made contact as soon as we found out where it happened … safety is our main concern here,” he added. 

As of press time, the Duggar family has not released a statement on Joseph’s arrest.

Click here to watch Captain Bowen’s full statement and watch Joseph’s intake video below.   

Found Joseph’s intake video
byu/britneyspears6969 inDuggarsSnark

RELATED STORY: Breaking News! Former ‘Counting On’ Star Joseph Duggar Arrested on Charges Involving Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor 

(Photos: TLC; X; Reddit)