Meghan Markle's father, the Duke of Sussex's father, cut off his electronic ankle monitor just days after being arrested on charges of possessing child pornography.
On Tuesday, 10 Nov 2026, Thomas Markle, 82, Meghan Markle's estranged and distant father, removed his electronic ankle tracking device just days after his arrest on child pornography possession charges.
Bill Essaily, the lead U.S. assistant attorney, said Thomas Markle was taken into custody pending a federal court hearing in Tampa, Florida, shortly after cutting off his ankle monitor at 1:45 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Markle was initially arrested on Friday, 6 Nov, after authorities seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books suspected of containing images of child sexual abuse, from a storage unit near Los Angeles, California.
During last week's arrest, he was taken from a senior care center in Lakeland by ambulance, and later a judge allowed his release on the condition that he wear an electronic tracking device, usually an ankle monitor.
Additionally, the judge ordered a mental competency evaluation for him, with a report due by 20 Nov.
Recently, the Duchess of Sussex said she was "deeply shocked" by the allegations concerning the discovery of a collection of child sexual abuse images at her father's former home and revealed that a letter containing "disturbing allegations" about her father had been sent to police in London as early as 2019.
"That letter contained disturbing and shocking allegations against my father, and I have been assured that it is under investigation," Meghan said of the letter. "I hope now everyone understands that despite media distortions over the years, the distance I have kept from my father and the decision not to allow him contact with our children has one sole purpose: to protect them."
Previously, Thomas Markle lived in the Philippines before suffering a stroke that led to the amputation of his left leg, prompting his return to the U.S. for treatment.
Markle's arrest followed a report from The Sun, a well-known British tabloid, stating that Meghan's half-brother found child sexual abuse images while cleaning their father's home in the Philippines. This discovery led to information about two storage units in California that Markle had rented since 2008.
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