Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested on Friday in Florida following allegations that he had stored child sexual abuse material in California storage units, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice. The arrest was subsequently confirmed to CBS News by three independent sources with knowledge of the matter.
The Department of Justice stated that Markle was taken into custody on allegations of retaining child sexual abuse material , including sexually explicit photographs depicting himself alongside prepubescent girls , in two storage units located in the Los Angeles area, which he had rented for nearly two decades.
“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law,” said Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, in an official statement.
Markle made his initial appearance in federal court in Tampa on Friday, arriving in the courtroom in a wheelchair and dressed in black trousers and a black T-shirt featuring an illustration of a cat holding a tropical beverage. During the hearing, he was informed that the proceedings were directly related to items discovered in the two California storage units. Prosecutors indicated that a decision had not yet been reached regarding whether he would remain in Florida or be transferred to California, where the charges originated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson ordered Markle’s release on personal recognizance, subject to home detention and electronic monitoring. He was additionally prohibited from traveling outside the Middle District of Florida and the Central District of California. No plea was entered at the hearing, and his arraignment date in the Central District of California has not yet been scheduled, though it is not expected to occur for at least several weeks. The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, was the first outlet to report on Markle’s arrest.
## Allegations in Philippines lead to U.S. and Mexican investigations
The previous month, reports emerged that Markle had come under investigation by Philippine authorities for the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. Markle categorically denied the accusations, characterizing them as “sick lies.”
“I have never downloaded anything like that in my life,” he was quoted as telling the Daily Mail.
A spokesperson for the Philippine National Police confirmed to CBS News that an investigation was initiated after Markle’s personal belongings were handed over to law enforcement by his son, Thomas Markle Jr.
Markle Jr. disclosed to The Sun tabloid last month that he had reported the images to Philippine police and had also contacted the FBI directly.
“I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years , but that stops now,” Markle Jr. told The Sun. “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
The Daily Mail further reported that it had notified the FBI of a collection of child pornographic material found within a storage unit Markle Sr. had rented near his former residence in Rosarito, Mexico. In a statement issued on Friday, the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office in Mexico confirmed to CBS News that a search had been conducted on October 29 following a report submitted through the 911 emergency line.
“During the operation, three old magazines and VHS tapes containing child pornography were discovered,” the office stated. “The evidence and the associated case files were referred to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), which will handle the follow-up to the case.”
## DOJ’s claims against Markle Sr.
According to an affidavit included in the federal court complaint, the Philippine investigation prompted law enforcement to examine two storage units registered to Markle Sr. in the Los Angeles area. Those units had been rented since 2008, with the most recent payments on both processed the previous month via automatic payment.
Within the units, FBI agents seized a total of 78 items, including photographic slides, film negatives, and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material. In one of the units, agents identified at least 18 images believed to constitute child pornography. Two of those images allegedly depict an adult male , identified by a witness as Markle Sr. , alongside a nude prepubescent girl. A third image allegedly shows a nude prepubescent girl in what appears to be a room belonging to a motel chain in the Philippines. Additional photographs allegedly show Markle Sr. with children in various states of undress, according to the affidavit.
“Mr. Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement, adding: “This FBI will use every single resource at our disposal to protect innocent kids – any predator who targets children will have zero safe haven in this country or anywhere they try to hide.”
Should Markle Sr. be convicted, he would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
## Meghan distanced herself because of allegations years ago
Following the public disclosure of the investigation, Meghan , who recently relocated back to the United Kingdom with her husband, Prince Harry, and their children , issued a statement to CBS News in which she revealed that she had been aware of the allegations against her father since 2018 and that those allegations had been shared with U.K. authorities at the time.
She stated that it was on the basis of that information that she and Prince Harry made the decision to sever her father’s contact with their children.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them,” she said.
According to BBC News, Meghan also confronted her father the previous year regarding the child sexual abuse allegations made against him. Video footage, which the Daily Mail claims to have obtained exclusively, reportedly shows Markle receiving a letter from his daughter while in a U.S. hospital room in December 2025. According to the BBC, Meghan’s letter stated that she and authorities “knew he had abused young girls,” and made clear that he would never be permitted to meet her and Prince Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet.
Sources indicate that Meghan will not be issuing any comment regarding the arrest at this time.
