Thomas Markle Sr., the 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested by FBI agents in Florida on Friday, 6 November 2026, and charged with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. The Justice Department announced the arrest the same day, saying investigators found explicit photographs in two Los Angeles-area storage units Markle had rented for nearly two decades.
Markle was taken into custody early on Friday at Maravida Senior Living, a retirement home in North Lakeland, Florida. He appeared later that day in the United States District Court in Tampa, where a federal magistrate judge ordered his release on house arrest, CNN reported, with travel restricted to the Middle District of Florida and the Central District of California.
He has not entered a plea, and an arraignment is not expected for several weeks. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in a federal prison, the Justice Department said. Markle has denied the allegations, and the charge has yet to be proven in court.
How the storage units were found
According to the Justice Department, the investigation began in October, when a person signed an affidavit stating they had discovered child sexual abuse material among Markle’s possessions in the Philippines. A second person told investigators that Markle had rented a storage unit near Los Angeles since 2008, and information from the first person led to the discovery of a second unit.
After obtaining warrants, FBI agents searched both units and seized about 78 items, including photographs, film negatives and books, Al Jazeera reported, citing the criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. FBI Director Kash Patel said Markle “allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.”
Markle had been living in the Philippines earlier this year, when he suffered a stroke and had his left leg amputated. He returned to the United States for medical care and was recovering at a rehabilitation centre in Florida before his arrest.
Meghan’s statement in October
Meghan issued a statement to The New York Times in October, saying she first learned of the allegations against her father in 2018, when a letter detailing them was sent to the London Metropolitan Police unit handling her security at the time.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours,” she wrote. “My thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.” She added that her distance from her father and her decision not to allow him contact with her children was “for one reason: to protect them.”
The Associated Press said it tried to reach Meghan’s representative on Friday but had not heard back. Meghan, Prince Harry and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, relocated back to the United Kingdom in August.
What happens next
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Friday, 6 November 2026 | Markle arrested in Lakeland, Florida; first court appearance in Tampa; released on house arrest |
| Coming weeks | Arraignment expected in federal court; no plea has been entered yet |
| If convicted | Up to 20 years in a federal prison, the Justice Department said |
The arrest capped a turbulent week in world news that also saw the Kraków market square shooting on Saturday, in which six people were killed, and came the same week Trump named Stephen Miller as chief of staff after the midterm elections.
