WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Thomas Markle Sr. was arrested in Florida and released without bond into monitored home detention at a memory care facility.
  • Federal prosecutors charged him with possession of child pornography following searches of two storage units containing suspected child sexual abuse material.
  • A judge ordered a psychological evaluation to determine whether Markle Sr. understands the charges against him.
  • Meghan Markle said she was deeply distressed and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed.

Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., has been arrested in Florida on a federal charge involving child sexual abuse material. He appeared in court Friday for an initial hearing while accompanied by several U.S. marshals.

The judge ordered Markle Sr. to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether he understands the charges against him. He was then released without being required to post bond.

Markle Sr. must have his location monitored at all times and cannot travel outside the United States. His defense attorney told the court that Markle Sr. did not know where his passport was.

He will remain under home detention at the memory care facility where authorities arrested him. Markle Sr., who uses a wheelchair after losing a leg, appeared in black pants and a black T shirt featuring a cat wearing sunglasses and holding an iced coffee.

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Inside the courtroom, Markle Sr. scowled and glared at people seated in the front row. He received a public defender and was asked whether he understood the charges.

The court gave Markle Sr. the option of having his case proceed in California instead of Florida. Choosing California would require him to remain in custody while being transported there.

Federal prosecutors charged Markle Sr. with possession of child pornography in a criminal complaint filed Nov. 5. The complaint obtained by Fox News Digital runs 14 pages.

According to that filing, FBI agents searched two storage units registered to Markle Sr. and seized approximately 78 items. The recovered property included film negatives, slides, and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.

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Investigators said Markle Sr. had rented the storage units since 2008 and continued making payments through October 2026. Agents identified approximately 18 suspected illegal images among film negatives recovered from one of the units.

A witness who had known Markle Sr. since the 1970s allegedly identified him as the adult man shown with a prepubescent girl in at least two photographs. Investigators also found a potential connection to the Philippines through photographs identifying a hotel called Anahaw Lodge.

The Sun previously reported that Meghan’s half brother, Thomas Markle Jr., found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sex abuse images in boxes at his father’s former home in Cebu, Philippines. He said he contacted police in the Philippines and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S.

Meghan addressed the allegations in a statement previously shared with Fox News Digital. “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” she said.

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Meghan said a letter was sent in 2018 to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. She said the letter, which was later shared with her, contained troubling allegations against her father and that she received assurances they were being investigated.

She also said her distance from her father and decision not to allow him contact with her children were intended to protect them. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families,” her statement continued.

“Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children,” the statement concluded.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed receiving a letter in January 2019 “containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.” The force said officers shared the letter with Harry and Meghan’s office but not with other law enforcement agencies.

The Metropolitan Police is reviewing its handling of the matter and considering whether it should be referred to the police watchdog. Meanwhile, retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack said investigators would continue examining the seized materials and looking for other possible victims or offenses.

Pack said Markle Sr.’s dementia diagnosis does not automatically end the case because the court may need to determine whether he understands the proceedings and can assist his lawyer. He stressed that the government must still prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.