Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has been arrested by United States federal authorities and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material.
Markle was taken into custody on Friday, November 6, 2026, at a senior living facility in Lakeland, Florida, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The 82-year-old faces one count of possession of child pornography under a federal criminal complaint. He is expected to make his initial appearance before a federal court in Tampa, Florida.
Prosecutors said the charge relates to suspected sexually explicit material recovered from two storage units in the Los Angeles area that Markle had rented since 2008.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material, during searches conducted under judicially authorised warrants.
According to the federal complaint, some of the material allegedly included photographs depicting Markle with prepubescent girls. Authorities said the investigation began after information emerged about suspected material among his belongings in the Philippines.
If convicted, Markle could face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The US Department of Justice stressed that the criminal complaint contains allegations and that he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The federal investigation followed reports that suspected child sexual abuse material had been discovered among Markle’s possessions at his former residence in the Philippines.
His son, Thomas Markle Jr., reportedly alerted authorities after uncovering the material while examining belongings at the property. Information from the discovery subsequently led investigators to storage units in California.
Federal prosecutors said investigators interviewed individuals who provided information about the suspected material and its location. The FBI later conducted searches of the two storage facilities.
Markle had previously denied the allegations, describing them as “sick lies” in an interview with the Daily Mail. He also disputed claims that he possessed the material, according to reports.
The arrest comes amid renewed attention to the longstanding estrangement between Meghan and her father.
Meghan, who married Prince Harry in 2018, has had a strained relationship with Thomas Markle since the period leading up to the royal wedding. Her father did not attend the ceremony at Windsor Castle after a series of controversies surrounding his involvement with the media and his health.
The Duchess of Sussex had previously said she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations involving her father, expressing concern for children who may have been harmed.
In a statement reported by the Associated Press, Meghan also addressed the decision to keep her father distanced from her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, saying it was intended to protect them.
