The estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been jailed after U.S. authorities alleged he removed his electronic monitoring device, days after his arrest on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material stored in California storage units.
Thomas Markle, 82, was taken into custody ahead of a federal court hearing in Tampa, Florida, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. He was arrested early Tuesday after cutting off the ankle bracelet at approximately 1:45 a.m.
“Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions,” Essayli stated. “We are asking the court to revoke his release and detain him pending trial, and we will continue to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin agreed Tuesday that Markle must remain in custody.
Markle’s arrest last Friday followed the seizure of roughly 78 items — including slides, film negatives, and books containing suspected child sexual abuse images — from storage units in the Los Angeles area, Essayli said.
Among the alleged material were sexually explicit photographs of Markle with underage girls, including one apparently taken at a motel in the Philippines, according to Reuters.
The criminal complaint states that a special agent reviewed “strips of 35mm film negatives seized from Storage Unit 1 registered to Markle” and identified approximately 18 images constituting child pornography, with the investigation ongoing.
Markle had rented the storage units in Los Angeles since 2008; the most recent automatic payment was recorded on October 14, the FBI noted.
The complaint added that Markle’s use of the unit was corroborated by items bearing his name, including boxes labeled “Tom Markle” and an address in California’s Central District.
During his initial arrest, Markle was transported by ambulance from a senior care center in Lakeland, Florida. Hours later, a judge permitted his release on condition of electronic monitoring, typically an ankle tether.
Judge Griffin noted that Markle’s court appearance last Friday showed a “lack of recall,” citing his health condition and advanced age. She ordered a mental competency exam and report by November 20.
Griffin said she found “reasonable cause to believe” Markle was suffering from a condition “rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense,” CBS reported.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, married Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018; they have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. An American citizen and former actress, she starred in the television drama Suits.
Meghan recently said she was “deeply distressed” by allegations that child sexual abuse images had been found at her father’s former home. She also disclosed that a letter containing “troubling allegations” about him had been sent to London police in 2019.
“It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” Meghan said. “I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them.”
Markle was living in the Philippines this year when he suffered a stroke and had his left leg amputated, prompting his return to the United States.
His arrest followed reports by The Sun that Meghan’s half-brother discovered a collection of child sexual abuse images while clearing out their father’s home in the Philippines, leading investigators to the two California storage units Markle had rented since 2008.
