Crimeupdated 25m ago3 min read
MapThomas Markle Jailed After DOJ Says He Cut Off Ankle Monitor
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Thomas Markle cut off ankle monitor while awaiting federal hearing in Tampa. His pretrial release was revoked and he was detained without bond.
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Monitor Cut, Jail Ordered
Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested after he allegedly cut off an electronic monitoring device attached to his ankle at 1:45 a.m., according to US authorities. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said the arrest followed Markle being ordered to wear a location monitoring device, and he said, "He allegedly cut the bracelet off at 1:45 a.m. last night." US Magistrate Judge Lindsay Saxe Griffin ordered Markle returned to federal detention without bond at a hearing in Tampa, Florida, and the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said the case against him is pending.
“He allegedly cut the bracelet off at 1:45 a.m. last night.”
The Justice Department said Markle was in custody awaiting a hearing in federal court in Tampa, Florida, and it said he was arrested shortly after he cut off the ankle bracelet at 1.45am. The Guardian said the magistrate judge agreed on Tuesday that Markle now must be kept in custody after Essayli sought revocation of release and detention pending trial.
Allegations and Evidence
US authorities said Markle was arrested Friday after officials found child sexual abuse images in storage units in California, and NBC News said the Justice Department alleged the images included sexually explicit photographs of himself with minors. FBI investigators found slides, film negatives and books that included "suspected child pornography" in two storage units Markle rented in Los Angeles, and one unit had mail bearing the name "Thomas Markle" and an international driver’s permit with his name and birth date. The seizure involved "approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books" from a storage unit in the Los Angeles area, and it quoted a special agent saying he "viewed a collection of what appeared to be strips of 35mm film negatives" seized from Storage Unit 1.
The special agent identified "approximately 18 images" that appeared to constitute child pornography, and the investigation remained ongoing. Markle denied the allegations and described them as "sick lies," while a federal judge ordered an independent psychological evaluation to determine whether Markle was fit to stand trial.
Meghan’s Response and Next Steps
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said she was "deeply distressed" by the news and said, "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." Meghan also 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," and she said she learned of allegations in 2018 when a letter was sent to London’s Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. The Guardian said the magistrate judge ordered a mental competency exam and a report by 20 November, and it said the order cited Markle’s health, age and "lack of recall" as part of the appearance.
“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.”
A federal judge ordered Tuesday afternoon that Markle remain in custody after violating the conditions of his release, and an attorney for Markle in court records did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said the case against Markle is pending, and it said the court ordered Markle returned to federal detention without bond after the hearing in Tampa, Florida.