Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested by federal agents near Tampa, Florida, on Friday, Nov. 6, in connection with allegations involving child sexual abuse material, according to The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times.
The AP cited two people familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. The Los Angeles Times separately reported that it had confirmed the arrest. Markle, 82, has previously denied possessing child sexual abuse images.
The arrest follows an investigation in the Philippines involving material allegedly discovered among belongings at Markle’s former home. His son, Thomas Markle Jr., said he alerted Philippine police and the FBI after finding the images.
In a separate development Thursday, Philippine Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators had identified Markle Jr. as a person of interest. Remulla emphasized that the younger Markle was not being treated as a suspect at that point, Sky News reported.
Remulla said authorities had recovered more than 7,500 photographs and one video depicting children. Investigators were examining whether Markle Jr. might also have been involved, according to Sky News. The designation does not establish wrongdoing.
British authorities have also announced a review of their handling of earlier allegations.
In an Oct. 29 statement, London’s Metropolitan Police said it received a letter in January 2019 containing claims about alleged offenses outside the United Kingdom. Police passed the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but did not share the allegations with other law enforcement agencies.
The force said it had voluntarily referred its handling of the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. It also said referrals to relevant overseas authorities were underway.
Meghan previously expressed distress over the allegations and said her decision to keep her father from having contact with her children was intended to protect them, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and court proceedings. An arrest is not a finding of guilt, and Markle is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
