Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, has been arrested in Florida on suspicion of possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children, in a federal case involving dozens of allegedly illegal photographs and other materials seized by investigators.
The 82-year-old was taken into custody by federal agents in the early hours of Friday at a care facility near Tampa, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was expected to appear before a federal court in Tampa later that afternoon.
The arrest follows an investigation into two storage facilities in the Los Angeles area that Markle had reportedly rented for nearly two decades.
According to a 14-page federal criminal complaint, the seized materials included explicit photographs, slides, film negatives and books containing illegal content. Investigators are now examining the evidence as part of the ongoing criminal investigation.
The allegations have also raised serious questions about the nature of some of the material discovered during the searches.
Details included in the federal complaint describe evidence provided by a witness who reportedly identified Markle in two of the photographs recovered by investigators.
According to the witness’s statement, the images showed a man identified as Thomas Markle alongside an unclothed minor girl.
The discovery of the photographs and other items reportedly found inside the storage facilities became a central part of the investigation that ultimately led to Markle’s arrest.
Thomas Markle Could Face Up to 20 Years in Federal Prison
Markle is facing one federal criminal charge involving the possession of material depicting the sexual abuse of minors. If convicted, he could receive a prison sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California, confirmed the allegations and emphasized the seriousness of the case.
“Mr. Markle is charged with possession of child sexual abuse materials, including photographs of himself with underage girls,” Essayli said.
He added that the allegations were extremely serious and that prosecutors would pursue the case in accordance with federal law.
FBI Director Kash Patel also addressed the case, stressing the agency’s commitment to protecting children and holding individuals suspected of such crimes accountable.
