Thomas Markle, 82, arrested in Florida on child sexual abuse material charges

Thomas Markle, 82, has been arrested on charges related to child sexual abuse material following a report from his son in October to both Philippine and U.S. authorities. The Department of Justice alleges he possessed sexually explicit photographs of prepubescent girls in Los Angeles-area storage units for approximately two decades. Markle has denied the allegations and stated the equipment in question had not been in his possession since leaving Mexico in 2025. The case involves a public family member of the British royal household; his daughter Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, received a letter from UK Metropolitan Police in 2019 containing allegations about her father. Initial court appearance and potential entry of plea are pending.