Facing up to 20 years, Meghan Markle’s father Thomas arrested on suspicion of child offences

Arrest and federal charge

Thomas Markle, 82, was arrested at a senior living home in Lakeland, Florida, near Tampa, according to reports. He had returned to the state to recover from medical treatment and was photographed being taken away in a wheelchair by FBI agents.

Bill Essayli, a senior U.S. attorney in California, announced the arrest and shared a criminal complaint. The charge is a felony that could bring up to 20 years in federal prison.

Investigations across countries

Thomas Markle Jnr, 60, reported his father to authorities in the Philippines and the FBI last month. He gave them images he said he found in his father’s possessions in Cebu City, where an investigation is continuing.

Mexican police reportedly found another collection during a search last week of a storage unit near Markle’s former home in Rosarito. Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators had identified Markle Jnr as a person of interest, but not as a suspect.

Remulla said more than 7,000 photographs and one video were found among the elder Markle’s possessions. He said the material depicted underage people, including children as young as 10 and 11.

Denial and Meghan’s response

Markle, a retired television lighting and photography director, has acknowledged paying for sex in the Philippines but denied possessing child abuse imagery. He called the allegations made by his son “sick lies.” Meghan Markle said the allegations had caused her deep distress. She said her distance from her father and decision to prevent contact with her children were intended to protect them, and expressed hope that justice would be served.

Earlier police concerns

Meghan said she received a letter seven years ago through the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection containing troubling allegations about her father. She was told they were being investigated, and police advised her not to speak publicly at the time.

The Metropolitan Police acknowledged that details were not passed to other law enforcement agencies. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the force’s actions; Buckingham Palace and Meghan have declined to comment on the latest developments.