Thomas Markle Sr. arrested in Florida on federal child pornography charges
U.S. authorities arrested Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material found in California storage units.
The U.S. Justice Department announced Friday that Thomas Markle Sr. was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on federal charges of possessing child sexual abuse material stored in two Los Angeles-area units he had rented for nearly two decades. Federal agents seized 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books, with investigators saying at least 18 images appear to be child pornography, some allegedly showing Markle with a prepubescent girl.
Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said, "These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law." The case remains sealed, and Markle has not yet been identified as having legal representation.
The arrest follows earlier investigations by Philippine authorities after Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., turned over personal items to police. A Philippine National Police spokesperson confirmed the investigation was launched after the items were provided. Markle Jr. told a British tabloid that he reported the images to Philippine police and contacted the FBI, adding he would not speak to his father again unless called as a witness.
Mexican officials also confirmed a search of a storage unit near Rosarito, Mexico, in October that uncovered three magazines and VHS tapes containing child pornography, which were forwarded to the national Attorney General's Office for further action.
If convicted, Markle faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement to CBS News that she had been aware of the allegations since 2018 and that her decision to limit her father's contact with her children was made to protect them. She declined to comment further on the recent arrest.