After more than a week in solitary confinement and an extradition to Florida, the latest Duggar to be accused of preying upon a little girl is back with his wife.
Joseph is out on bond and returned to Arkansas.
Though he isn’t Kendra’s first priority right now, they’re now hiding out together amidst their growing disgrace.
This reunion may be short-lived. He’s due back in court in Florida in a little over a week.
Apparently, Kendra’s willing to hide out with him
Attorney J. Sauline III tells People that Joseph and Kendra reunited just one day after Joseph was released on bond by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Sauline is representing Joseph for his charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor.
These charges stem from allegations that he molested a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 trip to Florida.
However, Sauline is not representing Joseph in the Arkansas charges for false imprisonment and child endangerment.
According to Sauline, Joseph flew back to Arkansas from Florida — with daddy dearest, Jim Bob, for company — after his release on $600,000 bond.
Kendra Caldwell has been in hiding following her own arrest for child endangerment and false imprisonment.
(She and Joseph will have separate attorneys in this case.)
Now, they’re apparently hunkering down together. At least, that’s what Joseph’s attorney is reporting.
Many spouses would not be willing to spend time around a partner who confessed twice to sexually preying upon a child.
However, the twisted ideology of the Duggar cult demands that wives devote themselves to their husbands no matter what. Kendra may feel that she has no choice.
Remember, she’s in trouble, too
The spouses are facing eight charges each in Arkansas, unrelated to Joseph’s Florida charges.
(To be clear, the charges are unrelated, but the automatic search of his home by law enforcement in light of his charges are what prompted these charges.)
When local authorities searched their home, they uncovered something that prompted a charge of child endangerment and false imprisonment, both in the second degree, for each of the couple’s four children.
Reportedly, they discovered bedroom doors that lock from the outside, like prison cells.
It is unclear what else investigators may have discovered. The report on the door locks comes from a source close to the Duggars, which means that a grain of salt is required.
As many longtime Duggar-watchers have observed, Joseph may have believed that it was appropriate or normal to lock up his kids.
After all, he grew up in an abusive cult that treats children as property — even more than society as a whole does.
(Obviously, none of this is an excuse.)
In fact, Jim Bob and Michelle’s response to Josh’s crimes as a teenager was to lock their children up for the night.
People who grow up in horrible conditions may repeat their parents’ unjustifiable actions, without even knowing that they are unusual or evil. That is, again, no excuse.
He’s due back in Florida on April 20
Joseph and Kendra are due in court on April 29.
Until that time, they are barred from contacting their children.
Additionally, Joseph may not contact any minors without supervision. Obviously.
He is actually due back in court in Florida even before that, on April 20.
Only time will tell whether their marriage will survive these legal troubles. It’s just about impossible to root for them, but given the extreme beliefs of the cult, divorce seems unlikely.