Thomas Markle Arrested in Florida Over Child Abuse Material

Authorities in Florida have arrested Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan Markle, in connection with alleged possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to a law enforcement source who spoke to Fox News Digital. The arrest follows reports that potentially illegal images were discovered at his former residence in Cebu, Philippines.

The Daily Mail reported that the arrest was connected to the possession of child sexual abuse material. The case has also drawn attention to an earlier discovery allegedly made by Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan's half-brother.

According to The Sun, Markle Jr. discovered a substantial collection of suspected child abuse images while clearing out his father's former property in Cebu. He described finding "hundreds, if not thousands" of images to the newspaper.

Markle Jr. told the publication that he reported the material to police in the Philippines and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States.

Meghan Markle previously expressed distress over the allegations and said her decision to distance herself from her father was motivated by concerns about protecting her children.

"I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed," Meghan Markle said in a statement previously shared with Fox News Digital.

She also referred to correspondence sent to British authorities in 2018 concerning allegations involving her father. According to her statement, the letter was subsequently shared with her, and she received assurances that the claims were being investigated.

"In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," Meghan said.

She explained that the decision to maintain distance from her father also included preventing him from having contact with her children.

"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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families," Meghan said.

Her statement further addressed the seriousness of the newly reported allegations and emphasized the importance of protecting children.

"Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children," Meghan said.

The Metropolitan Police previously confirmed receiving correspondence concerning alleged offenses outside the United Kingdom. The confirmation was issued on October 24.

"Containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom," the Metropolitan Police said, describing the contents of a letter it received in January 2019.

The Associated Press contributed to the original report.