Thomas Markle, Meghan’s Father, Arrested After Feds Found Sexually Explicit Photos of Him With Minors, DOJ Says

Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested Friday morning by federal agents in Florida on charges related to child sexual abuse, the Justice Department announced Friday.

The 82-year-old allegedly kept “sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls in two Los Angeles area storage units that he rented for nearly two decades,” the Justice Department said.

Markle is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court on Friday. He has not yet entered a plea.

When asked for comment on the news, first reported by the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, told CNN he had no comment at this time.

Markle is separated from Meghan and did not attend her wedding to British Prince Harry in 2018.

In October, the American-born duchess said she was “deeply distressed” by a report that her father had a trove of images depicting child sexual abuse.

Thomas Markle’s son told British newspaper The Sun that he discovered a stash of indecent images of minor children in storage boxes and on computer hard drives at his father’s home in the Philippines and reported it to authorities there.

The Philippine Department of Justice’s Child Abuse Unit told CNN the case was “under investigation.”

Thomas Markle Sr. vehemently denied the allegations in an interview with the British newspaper Daily Mail.

“I am shocked, hurt and very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” he told the Daily Mail. The elder Markle also said the computer equipment has not been in his possession since he left Mexico with his son Thomas Markle Jr. in 2025.

Markle Jr. told The Sun that he also reported his discovery to U.S. authorities. In October, the FBI told CNN that it was aware of the allegations involving Markle Sr., a U.S. citizen, and would “provide support, if appropriate, to Philippine authorities.”

“We will also investigate any allegations of federal violations of U.S. law,” the FBI said at the time.

This is a developing story and will be updated.