Thomas Markle Sr., 82, the father of Meghan Markle, was arrested Friday, Nov. 6, in Lakeland, Florida, on an accusation of possessing child abuse material, according to information reported by G1. The U.S. Justice Department said the case involves photographs in which Markle allegedly appears with underage girls. FBI agents carried out the arrest after suspicions that had already been under investigation were publicized.
The arrest was confirmed by Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney, after reports about the case began circulating in the press based on anonymous sources. Essayli said the allegations would be handled under federal law. In a statement, he said Markle was accused of possessing child abuse material, including photographs in which he allegedly appears with underage girls. Essayli described the allegations as extremely serious and said prosecutors would pursue the case under federal law.
The allegation has not resulted in a judicial conviction, and the information available does not establish a finding of guilt. An arrest and an accusation are not the same as a conviction. The case remains an allegation to be addressed through the legal process, and Markle is entitled to the protections that apply to an accused person. The Justice Department’s statement describes the accusation, while the reported information does not provide details about a court hearing, a plea, or any final ruling.
According to the British tabloid The Sun, Markle was detained at the rehabilitation center where he has been living since he had one of his legs amputated in December 2025. The report said he was taken from the facility in an ambulance, handcuffed and using a wheelchair. Those details were attributed to the publication; the information provided does not include an independent account from the rehabilitation center or a further description from law enforcement about the circumstances of the arrest.
Suspicions involving Markle became public on Oct. 23, when The Sun reported on images that were allegedly found by Thomas Markle Jr., another of Markle’s children, at his father’s former residence in the Philippines. The report placed the discovery at a property where Markle had previously lived. The available information does not specify how many images were allegedly found, when they were created, or whether the reported material found at that residence is the same material cited in the U.S. accusation.
Authorities in the Philippines said after the reports emerged that they were investigating the allegations. Nicholas Ty, the country’s undersecretary of justice, said a specialized team had begun investigative procedures. Ty identified the team as the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children task force in Cebu, known as OSAEC. He said the task force was investigating the case. The information does not state whether the Philippine inquiry has concluded or describe any findings from it.
The British newspaper Daily Mail separately reported that other abuse material was allegedly found in a storage unit rented by Markle in Mexico. That report has not, in the information provided, been accompanied by details about the contents of the unit, how the material was discovered, or whether it is connected to the allegations being handled by U.S. authorities. The reports about the Philippines and Mexico are part of the public account of the suspicions, but they do not in themselves establish that any alleged offense occurred.
The case has also drawn attention because of Markle’s relationship to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan, who has been married to Prince Harry since 2018, said publicly that she was deeply shaken by the information about her father. In a statement, she said she had learned of allegations involving him in 2018, when information was sent to British authorities.
Meghan said a letter was sent that year to the Metropolitan Police and to the body responsible for protecting members of the royal family and other people in need of protection. She said the letter was later shared with her and contained allegations against her father that she described as concerning and disturbing. According to Meghan, she was assured at the time that the claims were being investigated. She said she trusted that authorities were taking the matter seriously, including in relation to other families.
Her statement addresses what she said she knew in 2018; it does not establish the outcome of the earlier reports or whether they are directly connected to the current U.S. case. The information provided does not describe the British authorities’ response beyond Meghan’s account that the allegations were being investigated. Nor does it provide information about any findings from that period.
Meghan also said she decided that her father should not have contact with her children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, in light of the suspicions that have been reported. She described the decision as a way to protect them. The statement came amid renewed public attention to the family’s estrangement and the allegations involving Markle.
Meghan has not been in contact with her father since the period before her marriage to Harry, the younger son of King Charles III. At the time of the wedding, Markle announced that he would not attend, citing health reasons. Before the ceremony, he had acknowledged posing for photographs taken by paparazzi. Those earlier events form part of the history of the relationship reported in connection with the current news, but they are separate from the present accusation.
The allegations have prompted inquiries in more than one country, according to the reports. U.S. authorities announced an arrest and described an accusation of possession; Philippine authorities said a specialized task force was investigating; and media reports described alleged discoveries in the Philippines and Mexico. The available information does not establish whether all of these reported materials are related to one another, whether they are being examined by the same authorities, or what evidence may ultimately be presented in court.
The case will be addressed under the applicable legal process. The statement from Essayli indicates that federal prosecutors intend to pursue the accusation under federal law, but the information provided does not identify a court, list formal counts, or give a schedule for further proceedings. It also does not say whether Markle has entered a plea or whether he has issued a response to the accusation.
For now, the central confirmed developments in the account are the reported arrest in Lakeland, the public statement by a Justice Department official, and the separate investigative steps described by authorities in the Philippines. Further details about the evidence, the status of any investigations, and the legal proceedings have not been provided. Markle remains accused of possessing child abuse material, and the reports do not indicate that a court has convicted him.
