Thomas Markle returned to federal custody in Florida after alleged ankle-monitor violation
The 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was denied bond and placed back in custody after prosecutors say he removed his monitoring device.
Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was taken back into federal custody in Tampa, Florida, after a court found he had removed his ankle monitor, court documents show. A federal magistrate judge denied his bond, citing a violation of his pre-trial release conditions.
U.S. Judge Lindsay S. Griffin described Markle's housing situation as "untenable" and wrote that no combination of conditions could assure public safety or his appearance in court. The judge also ordered a medical evaluation and required that Markle receive any prescribed medication unless a physician advises otherwise.
"Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X, adding that authorities will continue to prosecute the case to the fullest extent of the law.
Markle, who has denied possessing child sexual abuse material, was initially arrested after the FBI searched storage units in Los Angeles linked to him. He faces a charge of possessing indecent images of children. FBI Director Kash Patel said the allegations involve targeting innocent children.
The former resident of the Philippines moved to Florida after a series of strokes and an amputation. Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018 and reportedly ended contact last year after learning of the allegations.