Meghan Markle's estranged father has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the allegations being made against him are absolutely horrifying.
Thomas Markle, 82, was taken into custody at a senior care facility in Lakeland, Florida, on Friday morning. He has now been charged with possessing child pornography after federal investigators allegedly searched storage units rented by Markle and discovered a trove of sexually explicit images of underage girls.
Thomas Markle accused of unspeakable acts as lawyers reveal sick new details in child porn case https://t.co/yFlbSNWyEq https://t.co/jw0mf3TfWY
— New York Post (@nypost) November 6, 2026
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), FBI agents searched two Los Angeles-area storage units Thomas Markle had rented since 2008, and they seized nearly 80 items from the units, including photographs, film negatives, slides, and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.
Even more disturbing is the revelation in a 14-page FBI affidavit that describes photographs appearing to show Markle himself with underage girls.
“Mr. Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli following Markle's arrest. “These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law.”
🚨 Thomas Wayne Markle, 82, of Lakeland, Florida, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging he kept child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades. If convicted, Markle would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) November 6, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel spoke to the international effort involved in Markle's case, saying, "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. Thank you to FBI Los Angeles, FBI Tampa, our Mexico, Manila, and Marshall Islands Law Enforcement Attaches, and our partners who executed quickly in this case.”
Meghan Markle is a former American actress who married Britain's Prince Harry back in 2018, thus becoming the Duchess of Sussex. The couple stepped away from their roles as working members of the British royal family in 2020 and have two young children; they recently moved back to England and have enrolled their children in school there.
Thomas Markle has vehemently denied the allegations, previously calling the accusations against him "sick lies."