Thomas Markle Returns to Federal Custody After Alleged Removal of Ankle Monitor
The father of the Duchess of Sussex was denied bond in Florida after prosecutors alleged he removed his location monitoring device.
By Hiroshi Ferrari ·
Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been returned to federal custody in Florida. According to court documents, the move follows allegations that he removed his ankle monitor early on Tuesday morning. He appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Tampa, where he was subsequently denied bond.
US Judge Lindsay S Griffin issued an order on Tuesday finding that Markle had violated the specific conditions of his pretrial release. The judge described the defendant's housing situation as untenable. In the order revoking his release, Griffin wrote that due to the lack of suitable housing, no combination of conditions would reasonably assure the safety of the community or other individuals, nor guarantee the defendant's appearance in court.
Markle was originally arrested last week after federal agents searched storage units in Los Angeles. The FBI acted on warrants to inspect units registered to Markle, which he had rented since 2008. The Department of Justice noted that the last payment for these units was made in October of this year. During the search, agents seized approximately 78 items, including books, film negatives, and slides, which are alleged to contain child sex abuse material.
Witnesses have positively identified Markle in two of the images believed to depict child sex abuse. In those specific images, the man pictured appears to be in his 30s or 40s. This age range suggests the alleged abuse took place several decades ago, given that Markle is currently 82. He is charged with one count of possessing indecent images of children.
Following his initial arrest, Markle was placed under house detention and ordered to wear a location monitoring device. He has denied possessing the images. At a previous court appearance last week, no plea was entered, and the judge set the conditions for his pretrial release, which included the home detention requirement now allegedly violated.
US Attorney Bill Essayli for Central California commented on the situation via social media on Tuesday. He stated that release conditions are court orders rather than suggestions. Essayli added that the office would continue to prosecute the case to the fullest extent of the law. The judge also ordered a medical evaluation for Markle, specifying that he must receive all necessary and prescribed medication unless discontinued by a physician.
FBI Director Kash Patel spoke last week, stating that Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions. In response, Markle has called the allegations sick lies. The BBC has contacted his representatives regarding the latest development in his custody status.
Markle moved to the Philippines last year following a series of strokes. He lived in Cebu until May before returning to Florida, where he was reportedly learning to walk again after having a leg amputated. The Duchess of Sussex has been estranged from her father since 2018.
The BBC understands that Meghan broke contact with her father last year. She reportedly told him that she and the authorities knew he had abused young girls. In a statement shared previously, Meghan confirmed the existence of a letter regarding the matter. She expressed deep distress and stated that her thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.
The duchess also explained why she had largely cut off contact with her father. She noted that she did not allow him to have contact with their children, a decision she said should help clarify the reasons behind their estrangement.
