Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, arrested for child pornography possession: US authorities

Thomas Markle, father of Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, has been arrested for possessing child pornography, the US Justice Department said on Friday.

Markle, 82, of Lakeland, Florida, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography, the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a statement. He is expected to appear in court in Tampa on Friday.

Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said.

“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr Markle to the fullest extent of federal law.”

A Justice Department official said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had arrested Thomas Markle.

A spokesperson for Meghan Markle did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Daily Mail, which first reported the arrest, said Markle was arrested at his senior living community in Lakeland over alleged possession of child sexual abuse material.

Material had also been found in a storage unit in Mexico as well as the Philippines, it reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.

Authorities in the Philippines, where Markle had previously lived for some time, began investigating him last month over the allegations.

British police last month said they would refer allegations about him to overseas law enforcement agencies after finding that the claims had not been passed to other authorities when they were first received.

He has denied the accusations, telling the Daily Mail they were untrue and “sick lies”.

Meghan, an American who married King Charles’ younger son in 2018, has said she was “deeply distressed” over the allegations.

In December 2025, Meghan got in touch with her estranged father after he had his left lower leg amputated in the Philippines.

The relationship between Meghan and her father broke down in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. The fallout saw him pull out of his daughter’s wedding just days before the ceremony in Windsor, citing health problems.