By Fatma Younis
Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested in Florida on Friday on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material, the Justice Department announced.
Arrest and Charges
The 82-year-old is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. The FBI seized around 78 items from two storage units rented by Markle that contain suspected child sexual abuse material, including film negatives depicting an adult man with naked pre-pubescent girls. A witness positively identified the adult man as Markle, according to court documents.
Court Appearance and Official Statements
Markle is expected to make his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the allegations are extremely serious and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of federal law. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that agents moved quickly to identify and locate the explicit material and arrest Markle.
Previous Investigations and Royal Family Response
The arrest follows an investigation in the Philippines into allegations that Markle kept child sexual abuse images at his home while living there; authorities there recovered thousands of photos of underage males and females. Meghan Markle said last month she was deeply distressed by the allegations and had previously been informed of disturbing claims against her father. British police passed her a letter in January 2019 containing allegations of offending outside the United Kingdom. London's Metropolitan Police referred itself to a policing watchdog over its handling of the letter. A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to comment on the arrest.
Background
Markle, a retired television lighting and photography director, did not attend Meghan's 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. The couple stepped back as working royals in 2020 and moved to California, returning to Britain in 2026. Meghan said she chose to keep her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, away from her father to protect them.
