Content warning: this article contains allegations of child pornography that some may find distressing.
A mugshot showing Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., in police custody has been publicly released.
The booking photo of Thomas, 82, was released by Florida’s Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, November 10, following his second arrest after he cut off his ankle monitor amid his child pornography case.
The photo showed Thomas, who is awaiting a hearing in federal court after being charged on Friday, November 6, with one count of possession of child pornography, wearing an orange uniform as he stared up at the camera. His brow was furrowed in the photo and his head appeared to be bowed down.
Meghan Markle‘s father, Thomas Markle Sr., has been released from custody on bond after being arrested for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Thomas, 82, attended an initial 30-minute hearing at the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa on Friday, November 6, after being taken into federal custody […]
Fox News journalist Heather Lacy shared Thomas’ booking details via X on Tuesday night, which stated that he had officially been booked at 6:11 PM EST that day.
The new image of Thomas comes after a spokesperson for the Department of Justice confirmed to Us on Tuesday that he had been detained. “At a hearing today in Tampa, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Saxe Griffin of the Middle District of Florida ordered Thomas Wayne Markle detained (jailed without bond),” a statement read. “Markle cut off his ankle bracelet at 1:45 a.m. EST today. Federal law enforcement arrested him later today. Markle is in federal custody.”
Filings viewed by Us that day also revealed that the prosecution and defense discussed Thomas’ violation after he severed his ankle monitor. After the judge determined that Thomas was a flight risk, it was declared that his pretrial release was revoked and he will remain detained pending the resolution of his case.
Private security officers were reportedly seen surveilling the grounds of Thomas Markle Sr.’s senior care facility hours after his child porn arrest. An alleged security guard, wearing a black T-shirt and baseball cap, was photographed standing on a balcony on Friday, November 6, via images obtained by Page Six. A second individual dressed similarly was […]
Thomas was first arrested on Friday and charged with one count of possession of child pornography. He was released on bail later that day.
Prosecutors alleged at the time that Thomas kept child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in storage containers that he had been renting in the Los Angeles area for the past two decades. Authorities claimed to have seized approximately 78 items including slides, film negatives and books that contained suspected CSAM.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California claimed that investigators found two images of a man with a nude prepubescent girl. Meanwhile, other photos “appear to show Markle with children in various stages of undress.”
Philippine police have reportedly apologized to Meghan Markle‘s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., for calling him a “person of interest” in the criminal investigation against his father, Thomas Markle Sr. On Thursday, November 5, Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told reporters that “there are signs that point that the son is involved” in Thomas Sr., 82, […]
Meghan, 45, appeared in public for the first time earlier on Tuesday, stepping out hand-in-hand with husband Prince Harry to attend the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
The royals appeared to avoid questions about Thomas’ arrest during their outing, per video footage shared on social media by BBC News at the time.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.