Meghan Markle’s father Thomas Markle arrested in Florida on child sexual abuse material charges
“Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle, has been arrested in Florida on federal charges related to the possession of child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement officials confirmed t…”
Law enforcement officials confirmed to PEOPLE that the 82-year-old was taken into custody on the morning of Friday, November 6, at the Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida. He is currently being held in Tampa.’s Office for the Central District of California, Markle faces one count of possession of child pornography.
If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The arrest followed an FBI investigation into suspected child sexual abuse material allegedly found among Markle’s belongings in the Philippines. the federal complaint, investigators were alerted in October after an individual reported discovering suspected material among his possessions.
The investigation also led agents to two storage units in the Los Angeles area that Markle had reportedly rented since 2008. Following searches authorised by judicial warrants, FBI agents seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.
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The federal affidavit describes three images recovered from the units. Two allegedly depict an adult man, identified by a witness as Markle, with a nude prepubescent girl. A third allegedly shows a nude prepubescent girl in a room that appears to belong to a motel chain in the Philippines.
Investigators also described additional photographs that appeared to show Markle with children in various stages of undress. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli described the allegations as extremely serious and said prosecutors intended to pursue the case under federal law.
FBI Director Kash Patel also confirmed the arrest, crediting investigators and international law enforcement partners for their work. The investigation gained attention after Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., reportedly alerted authorities to material he claimed to have discovered at his father's former home in Cebu, Philippines.
Philippine authorities have also named Thomas Jr. a person of interest in the investigation. Markle previously denied the allegations, describing them as “sick lies” and saying he was shocked and hurt by his son's accusations.
He also denied ever having sexual relations with anyone under the age of 18 or possessing child sexual abuse material. Meghan, who has been estranged from her father since the period leading up to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, previously addressed the allegations in a statement to PEOPLE.
She said she was “deeply distressed” by the accusations and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. The Duchess also explained that her decision to remain distant from her father and prevent him from having contact with her children was made to protect them.
She expressed hope that justice would be served and that the safety of children would remain the priority. The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation, although the federal complaint contains allegations that have yet to be proven in court.
Thomas Markle Sr. is presumed innocent unless convicted.
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