EXCLUSIVE: Joseph Duggar's 'Cult-Like' Religion 'Encouraged' Sexual Abuse and Molestation –– 'God Wants It To Happen,' Claims Former Member
Joseph Duggar follows the Institute in Basic Life Principles.
March 30 2026, Published 1:12 p.m. ET
A former member of the "cult-like" religion followed by Joseph Duggar and his family claims the sect has long played a role in enabling s--ual abuse, RadarOnline.com can report.
Joseph, who faces charges of molesting a minor, is just the latest member of his reality TV family to face s---related charges, after his older brother Josh was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison for possession of child pornography.
'Anything Could Happen'
The reality star and his family take part in the male-centric religion.
Joseph, Josh and their 19 Kids and Counting family members follow the teachings of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a Christian religious group observed by parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.
The church emphasizes the importance of male authority in a family and places a multitude of restrictive rules and regulations on females.
"A lot of abuse occurred," former member Lara Smith alleged, who claimed she was s--ually assaulted by a staffer at an IBLP center when she was 17.
"We were taught our bodies don't belong to us. They belong to God," she claimed. "And so in that realm, anything that happens, God wants it to happen."
Boys Can Get 'Triggered'
Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle, have high profiles in the church.
Smith added that the men of the religion were never held responsible for their actions, and claimed she was told during Bible study lessons: "'You need to be very careful what you do, what you say, what you wear, how you act, because at any moment, you could trigger a boy,' basically."
And Smith claimed she experienced that firsthand, when one night in a "training center" camp, a 21-year-old maintenance worker with a master key allegedly climbed into her bed.
"I was asleep, and suddenly he's in my bed making out with me," she claimed, adding how he came into her room multiple nights in a row thereafter. "We didn't have s--, but we did everything else. I didn't have the capacity to say, 'Hey, I don't like it.'"
When IBLP founder Bill Gothard found out, Smith claimed she expected to be reprimanded.
Instead, he allegedly "wanted the dirty details. He started asking the creepiest questions, he was like, 'What time did he kiss you?' and 'What time did he put his hands here?' and 'Did he do this to you?'"
After being accused of s--ual harassment himself (though he's denied the claims), Gothard stepped down from IBLP in 2014 but continued to work with the Duggars
Joseph Kept in Solitary Confinement
Joseph Duggar is in jail on sex molestation charges.
As Radar reported, Joseph Duggar was arrested on Wednesday, March 18, in Arkansas for allegedly molesting a child during a family vacation to Florida's panhandle back in 2020.
Almost immediately, the 31-year-old was isolated and allowed absolutely no access to other inmates for his own safety due to his high-profile case.
He has been kept under constant watch, with guards said to be checking on him hourly to make sure he doesn't try to hurt himself as well.
The disgraced Duggar didn't even get to reunite with his wife, Kendra, when she was booked in the same jail on her child endangerment charges.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Joseph and His Brother Josh
Joseph has found support from brother Josh.
Ironically, Joseph is finding support from one family member – his fellow ostracized brother, Josh.
Through his attorney, the 38-year-old said the charges against his brother "deeply saddened" him.
"Josh understands the stigma of being accused. He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life," the lawyer shared. "He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction."
The attorney added that although "Josh and Joe are not in frequent communication," the jailed brother "hopes and prays for his brother's well-being in this difficult time."
