Meghan Markle's Father Thomas Markle Arrested on Federal Charge
Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been arrested in Florida on a federal charge of possessing child sexual abuse material.
FBI agents took Markle into custody on Friday, Nov. 6, at the senior living facility where he lives in Lakeland, near Tampa, according to TMZ. Fox News first reported the arrest, citing law enforcement sources.
The Federal Charge
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced one count of possession of child pornography against Markle, Yahoo News reported.
"These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
Authorities also searched storage units Markle rented in California, according to TMZ. Yahoo News said it had reached out to the FBI for comment.
Markle was due to make his first court appearance in Tampa on Friday, according to the BBC via AOL. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, the Justice Department said. He has not been convicted of any crime, and it was not immediately clear whether he would remain in custody.
Investigation Began Overseas
Markle moved from Mexico to the Philippines in January 2025 and then to Florida in May 2025. He had only moved into the care home where he was arrested the week before.
The arrest comes weeks after reports that Markle was under investigation in the Philippines over similar allegations. He was not charged there.
According to The Sun, his son, Thomas Markle Jr., told police in the Philippines that he found such material among his father's belongings after the elder Markle left the country in May 2025.
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators recovered a large volume of alleged material. Authorities there have not determined who owned the devices, TMZ reported. Thomas Markle Jr., who also reported his father to the FBI in October, has been named a person of interest in that investigation. Remulla said there were "signs that point" to his involvement, but officials have said he is not currently being treated as a suspect.
Markle Has Denied the Allegations
Markle has firmly denied wrongdoing. "It's just a bunch of lies. It's sick," he told the British newspaper the Daily Mail on Oct. 23.
He said he had not had the computers in his possession since leaving Mexico in January 2025, and that he would welcome a forensic examination of the devices.
No attorney for Markle has publicly commented on the federal charge.
Meghan Says She Is "Deeply Distressed"
Meghan previously said she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations.
She revealed that she received a letter in 2019 containing "troubling" allegations about her father. The letter was sent to London's Metropolitan Police, and she said she was assured it was being investigated. Police later admitted they had not shared the allegations with overseas authorities, and the force has not contacted the duchess about the letter, the BBC reported.
Meghan said her decision to keep her children away from her father was made to protect them. She added that her "sincerest hope" is for justice to be served.
In December 2025, Meghan reportedly wrote to her father telling him she knew about the allegations and would not allow him to meet her children. According to The Sun on Sunday, she was also advised that speaking out publicly could jeopardize a potential legal case.
A Long-Strained Relationship
Meghan has been estranged from her father since before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. The Sussexes declined to comment on the arrest on Friday.
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