Thomas Markle arrested on child pornography charge in Florida
The 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse material and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Tampa.
U.S. authorities arrested Thomas Markle, 82, in Florida and charged him with one count of possession of child pornography. The Department of Justice said agents seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books, from two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades. The material is alleged to contain child sexual abuse content.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the investigation moved quickly and that the FBI will use all resources to protect children, adding that any predator who targets minors will have “zero safe haven” in the United States.
Markle is expected to appear before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa later today.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said the couple has not commented on the arrest. The couple is scheduled to travel to Brussels later this week for a ceremony honoring children who have died due to harms associated with social media, where they may be questioned about the case.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, previously issued a statement expressing distress over the allegations and said her thoughts were with any children who might have been harmed, noting that she has largely limited contact with her father.