Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle, has been arrested in Florida amid an investigation related to child sex abuse material he allegedly had in his possession.
Markle Sr.’s arrest was confirmed by CBS News, which added that the case against him was still under seal.
The allegations against Markle Sr. first emerged in October when his son Thomas Markle Jr. reported to authorities that he discovered the inappropriate images at his father’s home in the Philippines. Markle Jr. reportedly told detectives he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sexual abuse images where Markle Sr. was living.
The undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice confirmed the allegations are currently being investigated by a task force specifically devoted to anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. The investigation extended to a digital forensic examination following the confiscation of a computer belonging to Markle Sr.
Following the allegations, Meghan Markle issued a statement calling the allegations against her estranged father were “troubling and disturbing.” “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” Markle said.
“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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
Meghan Markle added that she was alerted by U.K. authorities in 2018 about her father’s alleged activities, and while police lacked evidence to pursue charges at the time, the accusations were enough that Meghan entirely cut off contact with her father.
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” Thomas Markle Sr. told the Daily Mail following his son’s accusations. “I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of … This is bullshit. It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.”
