Highlights
- Federal agents arrested Thomas Markle Sr., 82, in Florida on Friday on one count of possession of child pornography.
- The FBI says it seized about 78 items from two Los Angeles-area storage units Markle had rented since 2008.
- The case followed his son’s claims of abuse material in the Philippines; Markle has called the allegations “sick lies.”
Thomas Markle Sr. was arrested by federal agents in Florida on Friday morning and charged with one count of possession of child pornography.
The 82-year-old was taken into custody at his senior living facility in Lakeland, according to TMZ. The Daily Mail first reported the arrest.
Prosecutors allege Markle kept child sexual abuse material, including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades.
According to the 14-page criminal complaint, FBI agents seized about 78 items from the units, including film negatives, slides and books. Investigators say he paid for the units from 2008 through October 2026.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the government will prosecute Markle “to the fullest extent of federal law.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said anyone who targets children will find “zero safe haven in this country or anywhere they try to hide.”
Markle has not entered a plea. The retired television lighting and photography director was expected to make his initial appearance Friday in federal court in Tampa.
How the Case Began
The investigation traces back to the Philippines, where Markle lived for years before moving to Florida this spring.
His son, Thomas Markle Jr., said he discovered alleged abuse material among his father’s belongings at their former home in Cebu City. The Sun first reported the claims.
Philippine officials have described the material as “deplorable,” though authorities there have not determined who owned the devices containing the images, according to TMZ.
Interior minister Jonvic Remulla has said the country will take “appropriate legal actions” if investigators find sufficient evidence.
In October, the FBI told CNN it was aware of the allegations and would support Philippine authorities as appropriate.
Markle is also accused of keeping material stored near former homes in the Philippines and Mexico. The Daily Mail reported that Mexican authorities raided the alleged cache there.
A Family Divided
Markle denied the allegations last month, calling them “sick lies.”
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset,” he told the Daily Mail, referring to his son’s accusations.
His elder daughter, Samantha Markle, has accused her brother of fabricating the claims after being cut off financially.
Markle did not attend Meghan’s 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, and their estrangement drew years of coverage in the British press.
Meghan has said she is “deeply distressed” by the allegations against her father.
She said she received a letter raising serious allegations about him and was assured they were being investigated.
Meghan said her decision to keep her children from having contact with him came down to “one reason: to protect them.”
