Meghan Markle's father in US court over abuse images

Meghan Markle's father appears in US court over possession of child sex abuse images

Updated / Friday, 6 Nov 2026 20:13

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The father of the Duchess of Sussex has appeared in court in the United States after being arrested for possession of child abuse material, including images of himself with young girls.

Thomas Markle Senior is charged with one count of possession of child pornography.

He was brought to court in Tampa, Florida.

The seized material was allegedly found in two Los Angeles-area storage units that he rented for nearly two decades.

It comes after he was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by his son, Thomas Markle Junior, who allegedly found illegal images in his father's belongings in Cebu City.

Thomas Markle Snr was taken into custody by FBI agents yesterday.

Acting on warrants, FBI agents searched two storage units in LA registered to him, which he had rented since 2008, with his most recent payments on both made last month by auto-pay.

Inside, they seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books that contained suspected child sex abuse material.

Two of the images allegedly depict an adult man - whom a witness identified as Thomas Markle Snr - with a nude young girl.

A third is said to show a nude young girl in a room that appears to be part of a motel chain in the Philippines.

Other photographs allegedly show him with children in various stages of undress.

Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said: "This case highlights the importance of the involvement of the public, even if it's a family member or close friend, to be vigilant and speak up if they have information on individuals they suspect may be preying on and exploiting our children."

Thomas Markle Snr, who was living in a dementia care home in the US, has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but has denied possessing child abuse imagery.

His daughter, Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, moved from the US back to the UK with her husband, Prince Harry, in August.

She said that she was "deeply distressed" at the allegations about her father, from whom she has been estranged since the run-up to their 2018 wedding.

She revealed that she was sent a letter, via London's Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection, in 2019 which made "troubling and disturbing allegations" about her father, but that she was given assurances these were being investigated.

The Met Police has admitted that it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies or the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is investigating the force's conduct.

The duchess had wanted to "speak out" immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.

When Thomas Markle Snr, a former TV lighting director, had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for his daughter to contact him.

She is said to have written a final letter in which she said she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

If convicted, Thomas Markle Snr would face at least 20 years in prison.

Additional reporting PA