Thomas Markle placed under house arrest after child sex abuse material charge

Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is currently under house detention at his assisted living facility in Florida. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) confirmed that he has been charged with one count of possessing indecent images of children.

The arrest followed an investigation by the FBI, which executed warrants to search storage units in Los Angeles registered to Markle. According to the DoJ, these units had been rented by him since 2008, with the most recent payment processed in October of this year. Agents reportedly seized approximately 78 items, including books, slides, and film negatives, which they allege contained child sex abuse material.

During a 30-minute court hearing held on Friday, Markle appeared in a wheelchair accompanied by two US Marshals. Federal prosecutor Courtenay Derry outlined the charges, and the court ordered that Markle be subject to electronic monitoring. No plea was entered during the proceedings, and a joint statement from the DoJ and the US Attorney's Office Central California noted that an arraignment date in California will be set later.

FBI director Kash Patel stated that authorities acted quickly to make the arrest. He claimed that "Mr Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions." Patel further added that the FBI would use all available resources to "protect innocent kids" and ensure that "any predator who targets children will have zero safe haven in this country or anywhere they try to hide."

Markle has previously dismissed allegations regarding the possession of such material, describing them as "sick lies." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not issued any comment regarding the arrest.