Prosecutor says agents seized about 78 items in case against Meghan's father

Philippines discovery led prosecutors to units Markle rented since 2008

Federal agents seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books, that contained suspected child sexual abuse images from two storage units in the Los Angeles area, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. The units have been rented since 2008 by Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, according to prosecutors. Markle is charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse, Essayli said.

Markle was arrested Friday morning in Florida, authorities said. He was taken into custody outside Tampa, according to people who were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Prosecutor says agents seized approximately 78 items from storage units rented since 2008

Federal agents searched two storage units in the Los Angeles area and “seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books” that contained suspected child sexual abuse images, Essayli said. Markle has rented the units since 2008, according to prosecutors.

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

The arrest followed reports by The Sun, a British tabloid, that Meghan’s half brother found a collection of child sexual abuse images while clearing out their father’s home in the Philippines. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said that overseas discovery led to information about the U.S. storage units.

The Sun reported that Thomas Markle Jr. recently found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sex abuse images in boxes at his father’s former home in Cebu City, in the Philippines. Markle Jr. told The Sun that he reported the images to police in the Philippines and contacted the FBI.

“I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now,” Markle Jr. told The Sun. “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”

Meghan, an American citizen who starred in the U.S. television drama “Suits,” married Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018. They have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Meghan recently said she was “deeply distressed” by allegations that a collection of child sexual abuse images had been found at her father’s former home. She also revealed that a letter containing “troubling allegations” about him had been sent to London police in 2018.

“It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” Meghan said of the letter. “I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them.”

Markle, a retired television lighting and photography director, did not attend the 2018 wedding, prompting extensive coverage in the British media of Meghan’s estrangement from her father. He was living in the Philippines earlier this year when he suffered a stroke and had his left leg amputated, forcing him to return to the United States.