Thomas Markle, 82, was arrested Friday at a Florida care home. He faces a single federal possession charge.
Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested Friday in Florida on a federal charge of possessing child pornography, authorities said. The FBI arrested the 82-year-old at a care home near Tampa. The charge comes from a criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors in California.
According to court documents, agents searching two storage units rented by Markle in California since 2008 seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books. The FBI described the items as suspected child sexual abuse material. One unit held mail with Markle’s name and an international driving permit bearing his details. NBC News reported a witness identified him in some of the images.
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents moved quickly to identify the material and make the arrest. If convicted, Markle faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A criminal complaint is an allegation, and Markle is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The reports reviewed did not include a response from Markle.
This report draws on NBC News and Yahoo News.