Follow-Up: FBI Arrests Meghan's Father Thomas Markle in Florida: DOJ Alleges Child Sexual Abuse Material in His Storage Units
Los Angeles — The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday, November 6, that the FBI had arrested Thomas Wayne Markle, 82 — the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — in Florida. Markle is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Prosecutors allege he kept child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including sexually explicit photographs said to depict himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units he had rented for nearly two decades.
Markle, who lives in Lakeland, Florida, was expected to make his initial appearance on Friday in U.S. District Court in Tampa, in the Middle District of Florida. During searches of the two storage units, FBI agents seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected CSAM, the Justice Department said. A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; if convicted, Markle faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
'Mr. Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls,' said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. 'These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law.' FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI and its partners arrested Markle after an FBI investigation revealed he was in possession of CSAM; the FBI is investigating the case.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, law enforcement learned in October 2026 that an individual had signed an affidavit describing the discovery of suspected CSAM among Markle's possessions in the Philippines. GSM previously reported that Philippine authorities opened an investigation into material allegedly found at his home in Cebu, and that Meghan said in October she had known since 2018 and had cut ties with her father to protect her children. Markle has previously denied the allegations, calling them untrue. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Related:
Meghan Speaks Out as Father Is Investigated in the Philippines Over Child Sexual Abuse Images
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的联邦调查局总部大楼（资料图）。来源：GSM 联邦机构固定图库。 / Photo: FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. (file photo). Source: GSM federal agency file photo library.
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