Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have arrested Thomas Markle Sr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, in Florida on child pornography charges.
The 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle was taken into custody on November 6 at a residential care home for people with dementia in Lakeland, Florida, the Daily Mail reported.
Markle senior had been moved to the specialised Florida care home on November 2 amid accusations of pedophilia and possession of child pornography under investigation by police in the Philippines.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which serves as the primary federal law enforcement agency of the United States, carried out the operation in Lakeland, a city located in central Florida between Tampa and Orlando.
Storage locker evidence in Mexico
According to the Daily Mail, United States law enforcement authorities made the decision to arrest Markle senior after employees from the British newspaper discovered a commercial storage locker he rented in Rosarito, Mexico.
Reporters found boxes containing books about pedophilia and printed magazines dedicated to the sexual abuse of children inside the Mexican storage unit. They also discovered photographic negatives of young children taken secretly on public beaches.
Rosarito is a coastal resort city in the Mexican state of Baja California, situated on the Pacific coast just south of the United States border near San Diego. Markle senior, a former Hollywood television lighting director who worked on American television series for decades, lived in Rosarito for several years following his retirement.
Philippine police investigation
The arrest in Florida followed an existing international investigation conducted by law enforcement authorities in the Philippines. According to the Daily Mail, Philippine police said they were also very close to bringing formal criminal charges against Markle senior for possession of child pornography.
Scrutiny surrounding Markle senior began after his son, Thomas Markle Jr, stated that he had discovered hundreds of images depicting the sexual abuse of children on his parent's computers in July.
The illicit photographs were stored on computers kept inside Markle senior's home in the city of Sabu in the Philippines. Thomas Markle Jr is the older half-brother of the Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan Markle's father denies all allegations of wrongdoing.
Royal family connections and background
Markle senior is the father of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, an American former television actress best known for her role in the legal drama series Suits. She married Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III, at Windsor Castle in May 2018.
Prince Harry is fifth in line to the British throne. The couple stepped back from their roles as working members of the British royal family in 2020 and relocated to California.
Philippine police continue to investigate the computer evidence found in the city of Sabu as authorities in the country prepare possible formal charges against Markle senior.
