The estranged father of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has been arrested by federal authorities in the United States on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material.
The US Department of Justice confirmed that 82-year-old Thomas Markle Sr was taken into custody in Florida. Law enforcement officers conducted searches of two storage units in the Los Angeles area, which Thomas had rented for nearly two decades, discovering sexually explicit photographs of him with prepubescent girls.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel stated: "Mr Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions." Authorities revealed that the investigation began in October after an individual signed an affidavit detailing child sex abuse material found among Thomas's possessions in the Philippines, leading agents to search the American storage facilities.
Inside the two units, agents recovered 78 items, including photographs, film negatives and books containing explicit imagery depicting Thomas alongside underage girls. Thomas had previously been living in the Philippines before returning to the US following a stroke and a leg amputation.
Responding to the allegations, Meghan issued a statement saying she first learned of the claims against her father in 2018 when details were forwarded to the Metropolitan Police unit managing her security in London.
Meghan wrote: "I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours. My thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed."
Meghan added: "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."
Meghan, Prince Harry and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, relocated back to the United Kingdom in August. If convicted of the charges, Thomas faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in a US federal prison.
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