Arrest and first court appearance
Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is confined to his Florida assisted living facility under house detention following charges tied to child sex abuse material. According to the US Department of Justice, the 82-year-old was taken into custody in Florida on a federal complaint accusing him of holding images showing child sexual abuse. The DoJ stated he faces one count of possessing indecent images of children.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
During a 30-minute hearing on Friday, a judge also required Markle to accept electronic monitoring. No plea was taken. Federal prosecutor Courtenay Derry set out the charges, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. Markle entered the courtroom in a wheelchair, accompanied by two US Marshals, and was dressed in black trousers and a black t-shirt.[S1]
An arraignment date in California will be fixed later, according to a joint statement from the Department of Justice and the US Attorney's Office Central California. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not commented on the arrest. Markle has in the past rejected allegations that he possessed images of child sex abuse, describing them as sick lies.[S1]
What the FBI says it found in storage units
The arrest followed FBI searches, carried out under warrants, of storage units in Los Angeles registered to Markle. He had rented them since 2008, and the most recent payment was made in October this year, the Department of Justice said. Agents seized roughly 78 items from inside the units, among them film negatives, slides and books that the FBI alleges contained child sex abuse material.[S1]
In two of the images thought to contain such material, witnesses made a positive identification of Markle. The individual pictured in those images looks to be in his 30s or 40s, indicating the alleged abuse may stretch back decades, given that Markle is 82 now. FBI director Kash Patel said agents acted swiftly to detain him, contending that Markle allegedly preyed on innocent children and tried to rob them of their innocence through his crimes. Patel added that the bureau would deploy every resource available to safeguard children, and that no predator targeting kids would find any refuge in the US or wherever they attempt to conceal themselves.[S1]
A parallel inquiry in the Philippines
Police in the Philippines secured a warrant last month to inspect devices reportedly taken from Markle's previous residence there. Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's half brother, gave officers four boxes of items, among them computers, phones, hard drives and old video tapes. After a series of strokes, Markle Sr relocated to the Philippines last year and stayed in Cebu until May. Reports later placed him at a Florida rehabilitation centre, relearning to walk following the amputation of his leg.[S1]
Pressure on London's police
The Metropolitan Police said in October that it had received a 2019 letter carrying several claims regarding Markle Sr. According to the force, the information, which involved allegations against Meghan's father made outside the UK, was forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and was not passed on to other law enforcement bodies. The Met has since referred itself voluntarily to the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding its handling of the letter.[S1]
Following the emergence of the allegations against her father in October, the Duchess of Sussex said she was deeply upset by what had come to light in the preceding 24 hours and that her thoughts were with any children who might have been harmed. Meghan and her father have been estranged since 2018, and the BBC understands that she cut off contact with him last year.[S1]
