Joseph Duggar and his legal team are seeking permission to question investigators and law enforcement officers who spoke to the alleged victim in his ongoing criminal case.
The 31-year-old former Counting On star was arrested in March after a 14-year-old girl disclosed in a forensic interview several sexual abuse incidents involving Joe, which allegedly occurred during a 2020 vacation in Florida when the victim was nine years old.
TMZ reports, (and The Ashley can confirm) that Joe and his attorneys recently filed court documents requesting that the judge allow them to question individuals from the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Child Protection Team, as well as any other law enforcement agency involved in the investigation.
The Ashley has also obtained the new court documents, which state that Joe & Co. filed a “Motion to Compel” on May 1. That motion asks the court to issue a subpoena to compel disclosure of information obtained in the investigation thus far.
Joe– who was released from the slammer last month on a $600,000 bond– insists that he has the right to view the evidence against him.
In March, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) in Florida claimed that the victim had come forward and told her parents about what Joe had allegedly done to her in 2020, prompting the girls’ parents to contact police. The victim’s father then confronted Joe about his alleged crimes and Joe reportedly admitted it to the victim’s father and to detectives.
Days later, Joe was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old, and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Now, according to the documents obtained by The Ashley, Joe and his lawyers are asking that they be allowed to get their mitts on a variety of evidence, testimony and more.
First, they want to be allowed to depose (i.e. ask questions out of court but under oath) any of the prosecution’s witnesses who work for DCF, law enforcement and any of the government agencies connected to Joe’s case, specifically those in Arkansas.
Joe states that these witnesses “conducted an investigation of the child who is the alleged victim in this case.”
He acknowledged that there is a confidentiality privilege in Florida that prevents the release of information and identifying details of the person reporting the alleged abuse. Therefore, that person will not have to testify at the deposition or produce any records or evidence unless the court orders them to do so.
However, Joe and his team believe they are “entitled” to receive the testimonies of all the witnesses, as well as “records and evidence in the possession of the witnesses for a fair determination of [Joe’s] guilt or innocence at trial.”
As of press time, the court has not ruled on Joe’s Motion to Compel. His first arraignment is scheduled in Florida for May 18.
While the identity of the alleged victim has not been revealed, a source told Us Weekly last month that she is someone who is close to the family of Joe’s wife, Kendra Caldwell Duggar– a claim that had been widely speculated on social media following the news of Joe’s arrest.
“[Kendra’s parents] Christina and Paul Caldwell are not hiding the fact that Joseph’s victim is [close to the Caldwell family],” the magazine’s source claimed. “Christina has told other members of their church, but she is not sure she wants to talk about it so publicly. That is what she’s struggling with, but she is not hiding it.”
The source also told the outlet that the alleged victim chose to report Joe’s crimes to police in March after gaining the courage to share with her family what had occurred in 2020.
“When [the alleged sexual assault] happened, Joseph was on vacation with Kendra and her family,” they stated. “No other Duggar [family members] were there … As years passed, [the alleged victim] understood more and got the courage to tell her family. Just like the police report says, when she told her family, they acted on it.”
Amy Paul— a close friend of Kendra’s parents who helped them move last month from the Duggar-owned home they were living in— has stated that it was Kendra’s parents who turned Joe into police for the alleged crime. (Amy Paul also stated that the Duggars retaliated against the Caldwells for turning Joe in by evicting them from the home they were living in.)
Following Joe’s arrest in March, unrelated charges were filed in Arkansas against both Joe and Kendra, with each receiving four counts of false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a minor. Joe and Kendra have both pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes and their next court date for this case is set for August 10.
(Photos: TLC)
5 Responses
Of course he does. As if the pervert can’t get more perverted. He probably will take some sick pleasure in traumatizing his CHILD VICTIM! Can someone please PROTECT HER!? This POS shouldn’t be out on bail in the first place.😡
What kind of an idiot thinks he has the right to question the investigators of the victim? That is information from a CHILD and is privileged information for HER side, not for HIM and his lawyer! He thinks he can find out what was said so he can be ready when he goes to court? It doesn’t work like that Joe!
I never thought I’d say this, but good for Kendra’s parents. A broken clock is right twice a day I guess
You confessed, you perverted imbecile. You want to question who? Fuckin POS
Looks like they’ll try to get the confessions thrown out.