Meghan Markle's father cut ankle monitor just before federal arrest in Tampa
The 82-year-old father of the Duchess of Sussex was taken into custody in Tampa after cutting his electronic monitoring device, according to federal prosecutors.
By Marco Kapoor ·
Just seven days after his initial release, Thomas Markle had the electronic monitoring device on his ankle removed. The 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested on Friday in Tampa, Florida, for allegedly storing child sexual abuse material in California storage facilities.
Federal officials announced the details on Tuesday. Bill Essayli, the first assistant United States attorney, stated that Markle cut the ankle monitor at 1:45 a.m. Authorities took him into custody shortly after the device was severed. He remained in federal custody in Tampa while waiting for a scheduled court hearing.
The arrest followed the seizure of approximately 78 items. These included slides, photographic negatives, and books containing the alleged images. The materials were found in two storage units in the Los Angeles area that Markle had rented since 2008. Essayli noted that the discovery of these items triggered the federal investigation.
The initial arrest occurred the previous week. Markle was transported by ambulance from an adult care center in Lakeland, Florida. Hours later, a judge approved his release under conditions that required electronic surveillance. The judge also ordered a mental capacity evaluation to determine if Markle could stand trial. A report on that evaluation was due before November 20.
The case gained public attention after the British tabloid The Sun reported that Meghan's half-brother found a collection of images while clearing out their father's home in the Philippines. Markle had lived in the Philippines earlier this year. He suffered a stroke there, which led to the amputation of his left leg, forcing his return to the United States.
Meghan Markle recently addressed the situation. She described herself as deeply distressed by the allegations. She revealed that a letter containing concerning accusations against her father had been sent to the London police in 2019. "The letter contained concerning and disturbing accusations against my father, and I was assured they were being investigated," Meghan said. She added that her decision to limit contact between her father and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was made solely to protect them.
