Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle
The 82-year-old was arrested at a senior care facility in Lakeland, Florida, and appeared before a federal court in Tampa. The discovery led investigators to two storage units in the Los Angeles area, which Markle had rented since 2008.
An FBI affidavit filed in court said some of the images appeared to depict Markle with children. US Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin ordered him to undergo a psychiatric examination, citing concerns that he might be unable to understand the proceedings or assist his lawyer properly. Markle Jr. reportedly alerted local police and contacted the FBI.
Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle , the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested in Florida on Friday on a federal charge of possessing child sexual abuse material and later released under electronic monitoring, US authorities said.
The US Attorney’s Office said the case would eventually move to California, although hearings were unlikely to begin for several weeks. Essayli told The Associated Press that there was no evidence of victims in the United States based on the material seized so far, but the investigation was continuing. Markle’s court-appointed lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The investigation began after reports by British newspaper The Sun that Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., had found a collection of child sexual abuse images while clearing out their father’s home in Cebu City, Philippines.