Meghan Markle's father Thomas Markle Sr. arrested by FBI in Florida

on November 06, 2026

Lakeland, FL - Thomas Markle, Sr. was arrested after FBI agents descended on a care home, where he is believed to have been living charged with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. He is expected to appear today in United States District Court in the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. It comes as the Department of Justice said federal agents seized nearly 80 items from inside storage units rented by Mr Markle, Sr., including slides, film negatives and books that contained suspected child sex abuse images. If convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

 “According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, in October 2026, law enforcement learned that an individual signed an affidavit regarding their discovery of suspected CSAM among Markle's possessions in the Philippines.

“Law enforcement also interviewed another individual who disclosed that Markle rented a storage unit in the Los Angeles area. Information from the first individual later led agents to a second unit.

“Pursuant to judicially authorized warrants, FBI special agents searched two storage units registered to Markle. Markle has rented both storage units since 2008, with his most recent payments on both made last month by auto-pay.

Markle Sr. was reported to authorities in the Philippines last month after his son Thomas Markle, Jr. claimed he found a haul of child sex abuse images. Last week, four boxes of materials allegedly found in Mr Markle Sr's former home in the Philippines are said to have been handed over to authorities. It is understood the boxes contained computers, phones, hard drives and old video tapes.

Markle Sr. was seen being taken from the care home in a wheelchair. He has denied the allegations against him, calling them “sick lies”.

He previously told the Daily Mail that the computers had not been in his possession since he left Mexico with his son in 2025 and moved “for a fresh start.”

In the Philippines, The collection is said to have included photographs and electronic storage devices.

It has been speculated that the Philippines will eventually seek Thomas Sr's extradition from the US, with whom an extradition treaty has existed since the 1990s, though the process is likely to be complicated by his advanced age and ill health.

Authorities in Mexico are separately said to be examining photographs allegedly found in a storage facility there.

On November 5, Thomas Markle, Sr. is said to have held a lengthy private meeting with his daughter Samantha at a Florida care facility as investigations into allegations involving child sexual abuse material intensified across three countries.

The 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan Markle, 45, is said to have spent hours with Samantha Markle.Samantha is said to have arrived at the specialist memory care facility with food for her father.

Her partner, Mark Phillips, is understood to have visited earlier. Markle was transferred there from a rehabilitation center on Friday after reportedly claiming to have developed dementia.

The diagnosis has not been independently verified. Also, it is not clear why Thomas Markle Sr. is not facing production of CSAM charges as there are images of him with apparently underage girls.

The Law

Federal and state law both criminalize possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), but whether prosecutors face a time limit to bring charges depends on which law is used: many federal courts apply a five‑year statute of limitations to non‑production CSAM possession and receipt, several states set their own shorter or longer limits, and certain offenses—especially production or some distribution counts—can be treated as having no time limit under current statutes or proposed federal legislation.

In California, where the CSAM was reportedly stored, the statute of limitations for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), prosecuted under California Penal Code § 311.11, depends on how the offense is charged: 

Misdemeanor Charges: 1 year from the date of the offense.

Felony Charges: 3 years from the date of the offense (though certain factors or extensions can apply).

Wobbler Offense: PC 311.11 is a "wobbler," meaning prosecutors have the discretion to file it as either a misdemeanor or a felony based on the circumstances of the case.

Federal vs. State: This case is handled at the federal level, the standard federal statute of limitations for possession under 18 U.S.C. § 3282a is 5 years.