Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has been arrested in the United States over allegations of possessing child pornography, the US Department of Justice said on Friday.
Markle, 82, who resides in Lakeland, Florida, faces one count of possession of child pornography, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
He is expected to appear before a court in Tampa on Friday.
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said Markle was accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including images allegedly showing him with underage girls.
“Mr. Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls,” Essayli said.
“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law.”
A Justice Department official confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Markle.
The Daily Mail, which initially reported the arrest, said he was apprehended at his senior living community in Lakeland over the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material.
The publication, citing unnamed sources, also reported that related material had been discovered in a storage facility in Mexico and the Philippines.
Authorities in the Philippines, where Markle had previously lived, launched an investigation into the allegations last month.
British police also said in October that they would refer the claims against him to overseas law enforcement agencies after discovering that the allegations had not been forwarded to other authorities when they were initially received.
Markle has denied the allegations, describing them as “sick lies” and insisting in an interview with the Daily Mail that they were untrue.
Meghan Markle, who married Prince Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, in 2018, had previously said she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations.
A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex had not immediately responded to a request for comment as of the time of the report.
