Meghan Markle’s father arrested in US over alleged child sex abuse photos

What the report says

Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle, was arrested in Florida on Friday, according to the US Department of Justice, which said he faces a charge tied to possession of child sexual abuse material. Al Jazeera reported that investigators say the case involves sexually explicit photos that appeared to show him with prepubescent girls, found during searches of two storage units in the Los Angeles area that he had rented for years.

The Justice Department said authorities acted after receiving information in October from one person who said they found child sexual abuse material among Markle’s possessions in the Philippines. A second witness later told investigators that Markle had rented a storage unit near Los Angeles since 2008, which helped lead agents to another unit. Officials said the searches turned up 78 items, including photos, film negatives and books containing explicit imagery. A criminal complaint described images showing a nude prepubescent girl and other material that appeared to depict Markle with children in varying stages of undress.

Meghan Markle said in a statement to The New York Times in October that she had first learned of allegations involving her father years earlier and that she was distressed by the news. Her comments were included in the Al Jazeera report as part of the wider family context.

If convicted, Markle could face up to 20 years in federal prison. The case was expected to proceed in Florida court, and it comes amid broader public scrutiny of child abuse investigations involving prominent figures.