FBI filing cites slides, negatives and books in two California storage units
Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested in Florida on Friday on a charge of possession of child pornography.
Markle, 82, resides in Lakeland, Fla., and was expected to appear in a Tampa court later on Friday.
The arrest stems from allegations that Markle kept child sexual abuse material, including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, according to federal authorities.
“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law,” said Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
In a court filing, the FBI said agents found slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child pornography at two storage units in California that agents alleged Markle rented.
A spokesman for Meghan declined to comment on the arrest.
Last month, the Duchess of Sussex said in a statement that she was “deeply distressed” at the allegations against her father and had largely cut relations with him.