Private security officers were reportedly seen surveilling the grounds of Thomas Markle Sr.’s senior care facility hours after his child porn arrest.
An alleged security guard, wearing a black T-shirt and baseball cap, was photographed standing on a balcony on Friday, November 6, via images obtained by Page Six. A second individual dressed similarly was also spotted on Friday night, walking the perimeter of the grounds, with a third guard seemingly standing watch near the front entrance.
Markle, 82, has not been seen at the facility since his arrest several hours earlier. Us confirmed that Meghan Markle’s estranged father was arrested by the FBI in Tampa, Florida, for alleged possession of child pornography. (Thomas Sr. has since been released on bond.)
“Mr. Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Friday press release. “Working with our Justice Department partners, our agents moved quickly, identified and located the explicit material, and arrested Mr. Markle in Florida.”
He continued, “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.”
Thomas Sr.’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., claimed in October that he discovered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in boxes at his father’s home in the Philippines and subsequently informed authorities. Thomas Sr. has vehemently denied the accusations.
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail in a statement. “I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of. This is bulls***. It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.”
As Thomas Sr. no longer lives in the Philippines, the FBI investigated his possessions stored inside two storage units in California.
“Mr. Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls,” First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli noted in a Friday statement. “These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law.”
In addition to Thomas Jr., 60, the former TV lighting designer is the father of daughters Samantha, 61, and Meghan, 45. The Duchess of Sussex has been estranged from Thomas Sr. since 2018.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” Meghan told Us in a statement last month, addressing the allegations against her father. “In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.”
Meghan continued, “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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
Parents, teachers, and guardians interested in learning more about protecting children from exploitation can find useful tools and information at Know2Protect.
