Thomas Markle Arrested in Florida on Federal Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges

Federal agents arrested Thomas Markle Sr., the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on November 6, 2026, outside Tampa, Florida, on a federal complaint alleging possession of child sexual abuse material.

The Department of Justice stated that Markle kept the material, including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly 20 years. Agents seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material. Two images show a man identified by a witness as Markle with a nude prepubescent girl. A third image depicts a nude girl in a room consistent with a motel chain in the Philippines.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who leads the Los Angeles office, said Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material that includes photographs of himself with minor girls. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest followed an investigation that uncovered the material. Markle faces one count of possession of child pornography. The statutory maximum sentence is 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Markle was taken into custody at the Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida. He had returned to the United States after living in the Philippines, where he suffered a stroke earlier in 2026 and underwent amputation of his left leg. He is scheduled for an initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa.

The arrest follows reporting by The Sun that Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., discovered hundreds of images while clearing the father's former home in Cebu City, Philippines. Markle Jr. reported the material to Philippine authorities and contacted the FBI. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stated earlier that she was deeply distressed by the allegations and noted that a letter containing troubling claims about her father had been sent to London police in 2018.

Markle previously denied the claims, describing them as sick lies. The criminal complaint does not detail how the storage units came to the attention of investigators beyond the search results. The case remains in its early stages, and Markle has not yet entered a plea.

The charges date to material stored since at least 2008. Federal investigators described the images as depicting an adult man with a nude prepubescent girl. The Philippines image was located among the seized items from the Los Angeles units. No public statement has been issued by the Duchess of Sussex or her representatives in response to the formal arrest and charging.

The investigation continues. Agents have not released a full inventory of the 78 seized items. Court documents filed in connection with the complaint will become available after Markle's initial appearance. The Department of Justice has not indicated whether additional charges are under review.