Duchess of Sussex's father arrested in Florida on child sexual abuse material charge

Thomas Markle Sr. was taken into custody at a senior care facility in Polk County, Florida, on Friday. Federal agents arrested the 82-year-old father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material. He was transported to a federal court in Tampa by ambulance while in a wheelchair. Video footage from the scene showed him wearing handcuffs during the transport.

The arrest stems from a seizure of materials in the Los Angeles area. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated that agents recovered approximately 78 items. These included slides, film negatives, and books. According to an FBI affidavit filed in court, some images appear to depict Markle with children. Essayli described the allegations as extremely serious and said the office would prosecute the case to the fullest extent of federal law.

Markle appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin in Tampa. The judge released him back to the senior care center with a condition that he wear an electronic monitoring device. Griffin also ordered a psychiatric exam. She noted that Markle might be unable to understand the proceedings or properly assist his lawyer due to his health. His court-appointed attorney did not return phone and email messages seeking comment immediately after the arrest.

The investigation began after Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan's half-brother, found a collection of images while clearing out their father's home in the Philippines. Markle Jr. told The Sun that he found hundreds, if not thousands, of images in boxes in Cebu City. He reported the discovery to local police and contacted the FBI. That information led agents to two storage units in the Los Angeles area. Markle Sr. has rented those units since 2008.

Essayli told The Associated Press that there is no evidence of victims in the United States based on the seized material. However, the investigation remains ongoing. Court hearings are expected to move to California, though the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said they likely will not occur for several weeks. Markle returned to the United States earlier this year after suffering a stroke in the Philippines. That stroke required the amputation of his left leg.

Markle Jr. said he has supported and cared for his father for years. He stated that support stops now. "I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him," Markle Jr. said. He reported the images to police in the Philippines and contacted the FBI after the discovery.

Meghan said she was deeply distressed by the allegations. She revealed that a letter containing troubling allegations about her father was sent to police in London in 2019. "It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," Meghan said. She explained that the distance between her and her father was a choice made to protect their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

There was no immediate comment from Meghan's representative on Friday. Buckingham Palace is not expected to issue a statement about the arrest. Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, are not working members of the royal family. They stepped back from royal duties when they moved to California in 2020. They returned to the United Kingdom in August, and King Charles III confirmed their status had not changed.

Markle is a retired television lighting and photography director. He has never established a relationship with Meghan's in-laws. He did not attend their wedding in 2018 after a scandal involving staged photos for a British tabloid. The couple has remained estranged since that time.