Thomas Markle jailed after removing ankle monitor amid child sexual abuse material charges
The 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was ordered into custody after cutting off his electronic monitoring device following federal charges related to child sexual abuse images.
A U.S. magistrate judge ordered Thomas Markle, 82, to be taken into custody on Tuesday after he removed an electronic ankle monitor that had been placed as a condition of his release. Federal prosecutors said the device was cut off at 1:45 a.m., prompting the court action.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli noted that release conditions are court orders, not suggestions, and that Markle had been arrested in Lakeland, Florida, after investigators seized about 78 items from storage units in Los Angeles that contained suspected child sexual abuse images.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin signed the order, stating that Markle’s housing situation had become untenable, though she did not provide further details. The judge had previously ordered a mental competency evaluation, with a report due by Nov. 20.
Markle, who lives in a senior care center, had previously suffered a stroke and the amputation of his left leg. The investigation was reportedly sparked by a discovery of alleged images by Meghan’s half-brother while clearing out a home in the Philippines, leading to the identification of the California storage units that Markle had rented since 2008.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations and emphasized that she has kept distance from her father to protect her children.