Meghan Markle's Father, 82, Faces Federal Charge Over Child Abuse Images: What the Complaint Alleges

Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is facing a federal charge of possessing child sexual abuse material after suspected images were seized from storage units he kept in California, according to a criminal complaint filed by US prosecutors.

He was arrested on 6 November at a senior care facility in Florida and later released on home detention with electronic monitoring.

Markle was detained at the Lakeland facility and appeared in court that afternoon. He entered no plea and was released on personal recognisance, pending further hearings.

His son, Thomas Markle Jr, reportedly contacted authorities in October after finding suspected material in Cebu City, Philippines. An FBI affidavit states that information from a witness about that discovery led investigators to two Los Angeles-area storage units that Markle had rented since 2008.

A complaint and press announcement issued by the US Department of Justice on 6 November outline the allegation that Markle knowingly possessed child sexual abuse material. Markle previously denied related accusations, calling them 'sick lies' in comments to the Daily Mail.

What the Federal Complaint Alleges

According to the Justice Department, FBI agents searched both California storage units under judicially authorised warrants. They seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.

Two of the images allegedly show an adult man with a nude prepubescent girl. A witness who has known Markle since the 1970s positively identified the man as Markle, according to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint.

A third image allegedly shows a nude prepubescent girl in a room investigators said appeared to be part of a motel chain in the Philippines. An FBI agent also identified about 18 images on film negatives that appeared to constitute child pornography, the affidavit states.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said: 'Mr Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls.'

If convicted, Markle faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

Meghan Markle's Response and Earlier Warnings

Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018. In an October statement, she said she was 'deeply distressed' by the allegations and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. She said a letter containing disturbing allegations had been sent to the Metropolitan Police in 2018 and later shared with her.

The Metropolitan Police said it received the letter in January 2019. The force passed it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but did not share the allegations with other law enforcement agencies.

It later referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which has opened an independent investigation into the way the letter was handled.

The Met said the letter contained claims of alleged offending outside the UK and was sent to its Protection Command over security concerns. Meghan's spokesperson later said she may have been mistaken by a few months about when she saw it, and that the Met's January 2019 record should be treated as accurate.

The US case is separate from investigations in the Philippines and Mexico. Markle entered no plea at his first court appearance and further proceedings in the federal case are expected in California.

Under US law, prosecutors must establish the charge in court. Markle retains the presumption of innocence unless and until he is proven guilty.