Thomas Markle Sr, Meghan Markle's father, has been remanded in custody after allegedly cutting off his electronic monitoring tag. The 82-year-old was released on bail on Friday over child sexual abuse material charges, on condition that he remain under house arrest, wear a location monitoring device and comply with travel restrictions imposed by a court in Tampa, Florida.
US prosecutors said he allegedly removed the electronic bracelet at 1.45am, prompting an urgent application to have his bail revoked. Writing on X, first assistant US attorney Bill Essayli said: “Four days ago, a federal judge allowed Mr Markle to remain out of custody pending trial. He was ordered to wear a location monitoring device. He allegedly cut the bracelet off at 1.45am last night. Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions.”
Bail Revoked and Return to Custody
Prosecutors asked the court to detain Markle pending trial, saying they would continue to pursue the case to the fullest extent of the law. US Magistrate Judge Lindsay Saxe Griffin subsequently ordered him back into custody.
Markle was arrested by FBI agents on Friday following the seizure of suspected child sexual abuse material from two Los Angeles storage units he had rented for almost two decades. He faces one federal charge of possessing child pornography.
Investigation and Seized Evidence
The investigation began after his son, Thomas Markle Jr, allegedly discovered illegal images among his father's belongings in Cebu City in the Philippines and reported the matter to local police and the FBI last month. Mr Markle Jr later told The Sun that he had also alerted authorities to the storage facilities in Los Angeles.
Acting under search warrants, FBI agents examined the two units, which had been rented by Markle since 2008, and seized around 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.
Allegations and Legal Consequences
Court documents allege that two images showed an adult man, positively identified by a witness as Markle, with a naked young girl. One image reportedly showed a man who appeared to be in his 30s or 40s, suggesting the alleged offending may date back several decades. A third image is said to depict a naked young girl in a room resembling accommodation belonging to a motel chain in the Philippines. Other photographs allegedly showed Markle with children in various stages of undress.
The allegations have not been proven. Markle has denied possessing child sexual abuse material, although he has admitted paying for sex in the Philippines. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 20 years in federal prison.
Impact on Meghan Markle
The case has also caused renewed distress for Meghan, who has been estranged from her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. The duchess has said she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations.
She previously revealed that she received a letter through the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2019 containing what she described as “troubling and disturbing allegations” about her father. She was reportedly assured the claims were being investigated. However, the Metropolitan Police has admitted it did not pass the details to other law enforcement agencies. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is now investigating the force's handling of the matter.
Sources have said Meghan wanted to speak publicly after reading the letter but was advised by police not to do so. The latest developments follow a series of appeals from Markle to his daughter to contact him after his leg was amputated in the Philippines last year. Meghan is understood to have sent him a final letter in which she said she knew he was an abuser and that he would never meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
