Thomas Markle Arrested in Florida on Federal Charges
FBI agents took the 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle into custody at his Lakeland retirement home on Friday.
By Justin Brooks ·
Thomas Markle was arrested in Florida on Friday by federal agents. He faces charges of possessing images of child sexual abuse. The 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle was taken into custody at a retirement home in Lakeland.
US Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrest in a statement. Markle is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to appear in court in Tampa on the same day he was detained. Essayli described the allegations as extremely serious. The office plans to prosecute the case to the fullest extent of federal law.
Federal officials said Markle stored the material in two storage units in the Los Angeles area. He rented these units for nearly two decades. The Justice Department noted the collection included sexually explicit photographs. Specifically, the images depicted Markle with prepubescent girls. Agents seized approximately 78 items from the units. These items included slides, film negatives, and books containing suspected abuse material.
The case involves locations beyond the United States. Images of child sexual abuse were also found at Markle’s former home in the Philippines. A storage unit in Mexico contained similar materials. The British tabloid The Sun reported that Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., discovered the images. The son found them while sorting through boxes at the Philippine residence last month.
Markle had been living in Cebu, Philippines, for some time. He reportedly returned to the United States earlier this year. He is now living in Florida. His legal exposure is substantial if he is convicted. He could face up to 20 years in prison for the federal charge.
Meghan Markle responded to the accusations last month. She described herself as deeply distressed by the claims. She stated that she had blocked contact between her father and her children. This decision followed previous allegations she described as troubling and disturbing. The couple has navigated a complex relationship with the public eye since their marriage.
Harry, the second son of King Charles III, married Meghan in May 2018. The couple quit their royal duties in 2020 after leaving Britain. They made an unexpected return to the United Kingdom in August with their two children. Markle’s arrest adds a new legal dimension to the family’s public life.
