Meghan Markle's estranged father Thomas Markle Sr. arrested in Florida: Reports

article Thomas Markle Sr. is seen in a photo shoot on August 10, 2018, in San Diego, California. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images) The Brief Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Wayne Markle, 82, was arrested in Florida on Friday and charged with one count of possession of child pornography. The federal complaint alleges Markle kept sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades. The FBI says agents seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books that contained suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Wayne Markle, 82, was arrested at a senior living facility in Lakeland, Florida near Tampa on Friday and charged with one count of possession of child pornography. What we know: The federal complaint alleges Markle kept sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades.  The complaint says Markle paid for the rental units with auto-pay and the most recent payments were made last month. The FBI says agents seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books that contained suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) fin the storage units. In the items seized, the affidavit says two images depict an adult man – whom a witness identified as Markle – with a nude prepubescent girl and a third image depicts a nude prepubescent girl in a room that appears to be part of a motel chain in the Philippines. The affidavit also describes additional photographs that appear to show Markle with children in various stages of undress. People walk on November 1st, 2026 inside a storage facility where Mexican authorities seized a storage unit with belongings of US Thomas Markle, father of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, during a search for alleged child sexual abuse material, Expand What they're saying: The FBI says the investigation involved agents in Los Angeles, Tampa and Mexico and Marshall Islands Law Enforcement Attaches. "The FBI and our partners have arrested Thomas Markel Sr. after an FBI investigation revealed he was in possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)," said FBI Director Kash Patel in a release. "Mr. Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions. Working with our Justice Department partners, our agents moved quickly, identified and located the explicit material, and arrested Mr. Markle in Florida. This FBI will use every single resource at our disposal to protect innocent kids – any predator who targets children will have zero safe haven in this country or anywhere they try to hide." Meghan Markle says allegations against her father "deeply disturbing" Meghan, Duchess of Sussex departs The Community Recording Studio (CRS), a youth and community charity, during her and Prince Harry's visit to Nottingham on October 15, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, who is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, called the allegations against her father "deeply disturbing" in a statement last week to FOX News. What they're saying: "I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed," she said. "In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated." "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. "I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families." "Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children," the statement concluded. The Source: This article includes information provided by the FBI and FOX News.  This story was reported from Orlando. Florida