Meghan Markle Stays Silent as Father Thomas Markle Is Jailed Again After Allegedly Cutting Off Ankle Monitor

LONDON — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has not commented publicly on her estranged father's arrest on a federal child sexual abuse material charge. Thomas Markle Sr. was sent back to jail this week after prosecutors said he cut off his court-ordered ankle monitor.

Markle, 82, was arrested by FBI agents on Nov. 6 at a senior living facility in Lakeland, Florida, where he had been living. He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

He has not entered a plea and has not been convicted.

Charge stems from storage units

According to the Justice Department, agents found about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books, containing suspected child sexual abuse material while searching two storage units registered to Markle, at least one in the Los Angeles area.

The investigation followed claims by Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., 60. He said he found suspected material at his father's former home in Cebu, Philippines, after the elder Markle left the country in May, and reported it to Philippine police and the FBI.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Markle "allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions."

Back in custody

After his arrest, Markle appeared in federal court in Tampa in a wheelchair. A judge allowed him to return to the care facility under home detention and electronic monitoring.

Days later, prosecutors said he had removed the ankle monitor at 1:45 a.m. Tuesday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin revoked his release and ordered him held without bond pending trial. In a written order, she described his housing situation as "untenable" and ordered a prompt medical evaluation.

"Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. He told The Associated Press he did not know why the monitor was removed.

Markle has reportedly been diagnosed with dementia. Any questions about his competency to stand trial would require a separate legal assessment.

Meghan pulls out of speech

Meghan made her first public appearance since the arrest on Tuesday, joining Prince Harry at the European Parliament in Brussels for the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial. The memorial honours children who have died as a result of online and social media harms.

The couple had been scheduled to give a joint speech. Meghan withdrew, and Harry spoke alone. The Daily Telegraph reported that she did not feel strong enough to speak.

Harry made no reference to his father-in-law in his remarks. "I'm here as a father, my wife, as a mother and together, as a couple," he said, describing their support for families affected by online harms.

Meghan did not respond to questions shouted by reporters about her father's case. Last month, before the arrest, she said in a statement that she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations against him.

Long estrangement

Meghan has been estranged from her father since shortly before her 2018 wedding to Harry. Thomas Markle, a retired Hollywood television lighting director, pulled out of the ceremony after a heart attack and a scandal over staged paparazzi photographs. He has since given numerous interviews criticizing his daughter and the royal family.

The case is expected to move forward in federal court in California.