Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle’s father charged with possessing child sexual abuse material
Investigators seized about 78 items from two Los Angeles-area storage units, and the 82-year-old suspect faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Thomas Wayne Markle, 82, of Lakeland, Florida, was arrested on Friday on a federal complaint charging him with possessing child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said.
Markle faces one count of possession of child pornography and was expected to make an initial court appearance on Friday in federal court in Tampa, Florida.
An affidavit filed with the complaint says that in October 2026, authorities learned that a person in the Philippines had signed a statement about finding suspected illegal images among Markle's belongings there.
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Information from that person later led agents to a storage unit Markle rented in the Los Angeles area, and a second person told investigators about the unit.
Agents searched two storage units registered to Markle under court-approved warrants and seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books, that contained suspected material.
The affidavit describes several photographs that it says appear to show Markle with children, and it notes he has rented both units since 2008 and made payments on them last month.
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents worked quickly with Justice Department partners to find the material and arrest Markle in Florida.
Patel said the bureau would use every resource available to protect children from predators.
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said the allegations are extremely serious and that prosecutors would pursue the case to the fullest extent of federal law.
Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, urged anyone with information about the exploitation of children to contact local police or the FBI, even if the suspect is a relative or close friend.
The FBI can be reached at 1-800-CALL-FBI, Grandy said.
If convicted, Markle would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, the office said.
The office stressed that a criminal complaint contains only allegations and that Markle is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
Possession of child sexual abuse material is a federal crime, and the FBI investigates such cases across the country alongside federal prosecutors.
In this case, several sections of the U.S. Attorney's Office are prosecuting the matter, and the FBI said its investigation is ongoing.
