Meghan Markle’s father charged with possessing child abuse material after Florida arrest

Arrest and federal charge

Federal agents arrested Thomas Markle Sr. outside Tampa on Florida’s west coast on Friday morning. US prosecutors charged him with one count of possessing child sexual abuse imagery.

FBI Director Kash Patel said agents identified and located the material before making the arrest. He alleged that Markle targeted children through his actions. Bill Essayli, first assistant US attorney for central California, said investigators searched two storage units in the Los Angeles area. They seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books, that contained suspected images of child sexual abuse.

Prosecutors describe allegations

Essayli said the case involved alleged possession of material that included photographs depicting Markle with minor girls. He called the allegations serious and said prosecutors would pursue the case under federal law.

Family reports and response

According to reports by the UK newspaper The Sun, Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., reported his father to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month. He said he had found child sex abuse material at his father’s home there.

Meghan and her father

Meghan Markle is an American television actress who starred in “Suits” and is married to Prince Harry. The couple married at Windsor Castle in 2018; her father did not attend, and their estrangement received extensive British media coverage.