FBI agents arrested 82-year-old Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in Florida on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material found in two California storage units he rented for nearly two decades.
Federal agents arrested Thomas Markle Sr. on Friday morning at a senior living facility in Lakeland, Florida, on a charge of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Prosecutors say agents seized approximately 78 items — including slides, film negatives and books — from two storage units near Los Angeles that Markle had rented since 2008. An affidavit describes images showing a man identified as Markle with nude prepubescent girls.
Markle, 82, appeared in federal court in Tampa the same day and was ordered released to house arrest with electronic monitoring pending further proceedings. He faces a maximum of 20 years if convicted.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the FBI confirmed the arrest and the nature of the seized material; Reuters, People and CBS corroborated the court appearance and release conditions. Markle has previously denied related allegations as 'sick lies,' but no public statement from him or his counsel has addressed the current charges.
The case draws international attention because of Markle’s relation to the Duchess of Sussex. Further hearings will determine whether he is transferred to California, where the storage units are located, and the outcome of the psychiatric evaluation ordered by the magistrate.
People Sentiments Public Mood: Negative
- FBI Director Kash Patel said Markle allegedly targeted innocent children
- First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called the allegations extremely serious