Crimeupdated 24m ago3 min read
MapFBI Arrests Thomas Markle Sr. in Florida on Child Pornography Possession Charge
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Thomas Markle Sr. arrested in Lakeland, Florida by federal agents on possession of child pornography. Charged in California with possession of child sexual abuse material, per Justice Department.
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Arrest in Florida
Federal authorities arrested Thomas Markle Sr. in Florida on Friday on one count of possession of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said.
The Justice Department said Markle was taken into custody at a retirement home where he lives near Tampa, and it said he was expected to appear in court in Tampa, Florida.
The Justice Department said agents found sexually explicit photographs of Markle with prepubescent girls in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades, and the FBI seized around 78 items from the units.
Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said, "These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law."
FBI Director Kash Patel said, "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."
Cross-border investigation
A stash of child porn was allegedly found at Markle’s former home in the Philippines and at a storage unit he rented in Mexico. A 14-page federal criminal complaint alleges that he kept child sexual abuse material, including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units that he rented for nearly two decades. Markle was taken into custody at a nursing home near Tampa early on Friday and was expected to appear in court in Tampa in the early afternoon, the U.S. justice department said in a statement.
The Justice Department said the investigation in the Philippines led law enforcement to investigate two storage units registered to Markle Sr. in the Los Angeles area that he had rented since 2008, with the most recent payments on both made last month by auto-pay. The Guardian also said Markle was taken into custody at a nursing home near Tampa early on Friday and was expected to appear in court in Tampa in the early afternoon, the U.S. justice department said in a statement.
Denials and family fallout
Markle denied the allegations and told the Daily Mail, "I have never downloaded anything like that in my life," while the Justice Department said he was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. Meghan Markle said she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations against her father, and she said she had been informed of "disturbing allegations" against him with British police subsequently confirming she was passed a letter in January 2019. The New York Times reported that Meghan said the letter "made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," and she said the reports helped explain why she had cut ties with her father.
The New York Times said Meghan and Prince Harry recently moved back to Britain from California with their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5. The Guardian said Markle did not answer when the newspaper asked if he had ever collected child sexual abuse material, and it said he replied, "No."