Meghan Markle‘s father, Thomas Markle Sr., has been released from custody on bond after being arrested for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Thomas, 82, attended an initial 30-minute hearing at the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa on Friday, November 6, after being taken into federal custody earlier in the day. He was escorted into court by two U.S. Marshalls and wore a black T-shirt and slacks, BBC News reported.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California has confirmed that Thomas will face criminal prosecution on one charge of possession of child pornography. He could face 20 years behind bars if he is convicted.
While a judge granted Thomas a bond release, he will have to comply with home detention and electronic monitoring at the Florida assisted living center where he resides.
Thomas will not be allowed to travel outside of the Middle District of Florida and the Central District of California, the Justice Department and US Attorney’s Office Central California said on Friday. He will be required to a consent mental and physical health evaluation and cannot access any internet-connected devices as he awaits trial.
Thomas has not yet entered a plea. His next hearing will take place in California at a later date.
On Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel revealed in a statement that Thomas “allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.”
“Working with our Justice Department partners, our agents moved quickly, identified and located the explicit material, and arrested Mr. Markle in Florida,” Patel, 46, 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. Thank you to FBI Los Angeles, FBI Tampa, our Mexico, Manila, and Marshall Islands Law Enforcement Attaches, and our partners who executed quickly in this case.”
Federal investigators allegedly discovered child sex abuse material while searching “two Los Angeles-area storage units [Thomas] rented for nearly two decades,” per the Justice Department.
A separate investigation in the Philippines was launched last month when Thomas Sr.’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., reported to police that he’d allegedly found CSAM in boxes at his father’s home. (Thomas Sr. moved back to the U.S. earlier this year after having a portion of his left leg amputated while living in Cebu.)
“Mr. Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls,” First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said on Friday. “These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law.”
Thomas Sr. and his daughter Samantha Markle vehemently denied that he had committed any wrongdoing when suspicion arose last month.
“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 on October 23. “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.”
However, Meghan, 45, revealed she’d been passed a letter containing “troubling and disturbing” allegations about her father by London’s Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018.
“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,” the Duchess of Sussex said in a statement. “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.”
The Met confirmed on October 24 that it was investigating what action was taken when its Fixated Threat Assessment Centre originally received the letter about Thomas Sr.
“We are aware of media reports that officers from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command were involved in the passing on of a letter in 2018,” a Met spokesperson told multiple media outlets. “We are undertaking inquiries internally in an effort to confirm this.”
Thomas Sr. shares Meghan with his second wife, Doria Ragland, to whom he was married from 1979 to 1987. He welcomed Samantha, 61, and Thomas Jr., 60, during his marriage to his first wife, Roslyn Loveless.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
