Thomas Markle, the estranged 82-year-old father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested Friday morning by US federal agents in Florida. He has been charged with one count of possession of child pornography, with the Justice Department alleging he possessed child sexual abuse material, including sexually explicit photographs of himself with minors.
The arrest follows an investigation that began after Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr, reportedly discovered boxes containing hundreds or potentially thousands of images while clearing out his father's former home in the Philippines. Federal authorities further allege that Markle maintained a stash of explicit photos in two storage units located in California.
Markle, who has denied the accusations against him, is scheduled to make an initial court appearance in Tampa. The Duchess of Sussex has previously expressed that she was deeply distressed by the allegations that child sexual abuse images were found at her father's former residence.