Thomas Markle Sr. Arrested on Federal Child Pornography Charge

Thomas Markle Sr., the 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested Friday morning in Florida on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, authorities said.

Federal agents searched two storage units in the Los Angeles area and "seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books" that contained suspected child sexual abuse images, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.

Markle, who has rented the units since 2008, is charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse, Essayli said. He is expected to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon in Tampa, Florida. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

"Mr. Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls," Essayli said. "These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law."

The FBI said its investigation involved law enforcement partners in several countries, including the Philippines, Mexico, and the Marshall Islands.

The arrest follows reports by The Sun, a British tabloid, that Meghan’s half brother, Thomas Markle Jr., found a collection of such images while clearing out their father’s home in the Philippines. Markle Jr. told The Sun that he reported the images to police in the Philippines and contacted the FBI.

"I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years -- but that stops now," Markle Jr. said. "I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him."

Meghan, an American citizen who starred in the U.S. television drama "Suits," married Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018. They have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

She recently said she was "deeply distressed" by allegations that a collection of child sexual abuse images had been found at her father’s former home. She also revealed that a letter containing "troubling allegations" about him had been sent to London police in 2018.

"It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," Meghan said of the letter. "I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them."

There was no immediate comment from Meghan’s representative on Friday. It was not immediately known if Markle has an attorney who can respond to the allegations.

Sources

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