Meghan's father arrested in Florida over storage unit allegations

Thomas Markle Sr. was taken into custody in Florida on Friday.

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the arrest. It follows a federal probe into alleged child sex abuse materials. Markle is the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

Federal officials accuse Markle of storing such materials in two Los Angeles storage units. He rented these units for nearly 20 years. The allegation includes sexually explicit photos of himself with prepubescent girls. He is scheduled to appear in Tampa court on Friday.

Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, called the allegations extremely serious. He stated the department will prosecute Markle to the fullest extent of federal law. A conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The case began with an investigation in the Philippines. Authorities stopped Markle last month for similar alleged possession. A Philippine National Police spokesperson said the probe started after Thomas Markle Jr. handed over his father's personal items. Markle Sr. has denied the claims. He called them sick lies and said he never downloaded such material.

An affidavit filed in federal court details how agents traced the Philippine investigation to the Los Angeles units. Markle had rented them since 2008. The most recent payments were made via auto-pay last month. FBI agents seized 78 items from the units. These included slides, film negatives, and books.

The affidavit describes two images showing an adult man identified as Markle Sr. with a nude prepubescent girl. A third image shows a nude prepubescent girl in a room resembling a Philippine motel chain. Other photos reportedly show Markle with children in various stages of undress. FBI Director Kash Patel issued a statement calling Markle a predator. He said the FBI will use every resource to protect children.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, sent a statement to CBS News. She said she was aware of the allegations since 2018. She noted that U.K. authorities received the information at that time. The duchess explained that this knowledge led her and Prince Harry to cut off contact between their children and their maternal grandfather. She stated the distance was intended to protect Archie and Lilibet. She said she hoped this would clarify her choices despite media distortions.

CBS News contributor Roya Nikkah reported that sources indicate the duchess is not likely to comment further. Last year, Meghan discussed the allegations with her father in a letter. She delivered it to his hospital room in the United States in December 2025. According to the BBC, the letter stated that authorities knew he had abused young girls. It also said he would never meet their children. CBS News has reached out to Meghan's spokesperson for comment.