Thomas Markle Arrested in Florida on Child Abuse Charge
Thomas Markle arrested in Florida: the 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle was taken into custody by FBI agents early on Friday on a charge of possessing child pornography, the US Justice Department said.
Markle, 82, of Lakeland, Florida, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a statement. He was expected to appear in court in Tampa on Friday.
Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said.
“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr Markle to the fullest extent of federal law,” Essayli said.
Thomas Markle arrested: the seizure
A Justice Department official said the Federal Bureau of Investigation had arrested Thomas Markle. He was taken into custody by FBI agents early on Friday at the retirement home where he lives in Lakeland, Florida. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of possession of child sexual abuse material.
The Justice Department said Markle allegedly kept the material in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades. “Inside the units, agents seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books that contained suspected CSAM,” it said.
The Daily Mail, citing unnamed sources, reported that material had also been found in a storage unit in Mexico as well as the Philippines. Authorities in the Philippines, where Markle had previously lived for some time, began investigating him last month over the allegations.
British tabloid The Sun reported last month that Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr, had discovered the images while going through boxes found in his father’s former home in the Philippines. British police last month said they would refer allegations about him to overseas law enforcement agencies after finding that the claims had not been passed to other authorities when they were first received.
He has denied the accusations, telling the Daily Mail they were untrue and “sick lies”.
A broken relationship
Meghan, an American who married King Charles’ younger son in 2018, has said she was “deeply distressed” over the allegations. She said she had blocked contact between him and her children over previous “troubling and disturbing” allegations.
In December 2025, Meghan got in touch with her estranged father after he had his left lower leg amputated in the Philippines.
The relationship between Meghan and her father broke down in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. The fallout saw him pull out of his daughter’s wedding just days before the ceremony in Windsor, citing health problems.
The case now moves to the courts. Markle has been charged, not convicted, and the charge will be tested in the US federal court system. Possession of child sexual abuse material is a federal offence in the United States, so the case will be heard in the federal courts rather than a state court. The Justice Department has said it will pursue the case to the fullest extent of the law.
The investigation now spans three countries: the United States, where the arrest and seizures took place; the Philippines, where police opened an inquiry last month; and Mexico, where material was also reported found.
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Who is Thomas Markle?
Thomas Markle, 82, is the father of Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry. He lives in a retirement home in Lakeland, Florida.
What is he charged with?
He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography by the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
What did investigators seize?
The Justice Department said agents seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material, from two Los Angeles-area storage units he had rented for nearly two decades.
Has he responded to the allegations?
He has denied the accusations, telling the Daily Mail they were untrue and “sick lies”. He has been charged, not convicted.
