Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested and charged on June 6 with possessing child sexual abuse images, and appeared in a Florida federal court the same day in a wheelchair, where a judge ordered him held under electronic monitoring and home confinement, BBC reported.
Prosecutors said in a statement that Markle possessed sexual images of a young girl together with himself, according to the report. The FBI searched two storage units he had rented for roughly 20 years near Los Angeles before making the arrest, with rent on the units still being paid as recently as October, the BBC reported. Agents seized about 78 items from the units, including film negatives, slides and books, some of which relate to child sexual abuse.
Federal Court Appearance in Tampa
Markle, 82, lives in an assisted-living facility in Florida and appeared before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa on June 6, CBS News, a BBC partner, reported. He entered no plea. The judge ordered him fitted with an electronic monitoring device and confined to the care home. A date for his initial appearance in California is expected to be set soon.
Court documents cited in the report said multiple witnesses testified that the adult male appearing in photos believed to depict child sexual abuse, seized from the storage units, was “definitely” Markle. Because the man in the images appears to be in his 30s or 40s, the alleged abuse could date back several decades given Markle’s current age.
🚨BREAKING: MEGHAN MARKLE’S FATHER WAS JUST ARRESTED BY FEDERAL AGENTS! Thomas Markle Sr. (82), the estranged father of Meghan Markle, was arrested TODAY near Tampa, Florida, on charges related to child sexual abuse material! This is the result of an international… pic.twitter.com/a506O0tTIX
FBI finds materials linked to abuse
The FBI’s search of the two Los Angeles-area storage units produced roughly 78 items: film negatives, slides, books and other materials, some involving child sexual abuse, the BBC reported. Rent on the units had been paid through October of this year.
In October, police in the Philippines obtained a warrant to examine devices said to have been removed from the home where Markle lived in the country. The items handed to police by Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., included a computer, phones, hard drives and old videotapes, according to the report.
Markle moved to the Philippines after suffering repeated strokes last year and lived on Cebu island until May of this year, the BBC reported. After having one leg amputated, he has been receiving walking rehabilitation at a Florida center.
Patel condemns Markle’s alleged crimes
Markle had previously denied allegations that he possessed images of himself sexually abusing children, calling them a “sick lie,” the report said.
Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, was arrested in Florida on Friday for allegedly keeping child sexual abuse material, including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls. 🔗 https://t.co/lP9xG4Pdle pic.twitter.com/lnPDlCE11P
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that Markle is suspected of targeting innocent children and seeking to rob them of their innocence through his crimes, and that authorities “moved quickly” to make the arrest. Patel added that the FBI will use every means to protect innocent children and that predators who target children cannot escape, whether at home or hiding elsewhere.
Meghan expresses distress over allegations
London’s Metropolitan Police said in October that it had received a letter in 2019 containing “numerous allegations” about Markle. The force said it passed the letter to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s office but did not share it with other investigative agencies. The Met later voluntarily reported its handling of the letter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the police watchdog.
After the allegations surfaced, Meghan said in an October statement that she was deeply hurt by the news revealed in the past 24 hours and was thinking of all the children who may have been harmed. She has been estranged from her father since 2018 and was reported to have cut off contact with him last year.
Prince Harry and Meghan have not commented on Markle’s arrest and charges.
Questions Readers Are Asking
What exactly is Thomas Markle charged with?
He is charged with possessing child sexual abuse images, including sexual images of a young girl with himself, according to prosecutors’ statement reported by the BBC.
Where did the evidence come from?
The FBI seized about 78 items — film negatives, slides, books and other materials — from two storage units near Los Angeles that Markle had rented for about 20 years.
What did the judge order at his first court appearance?
The judge in Tampa ordered electronic monitoring and home confinement at the Florida care facility where Markle lives; no plea was entered.
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