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Thomas Markle, the dad of Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, had been in the news over alleged offenses against children, and the 82-year-old was arrested in Florida on November 6. Read on to find out more.
The Arrest
Fox News reported that Thomas Markle Sr. was arrested at “a Florida senior living facility following allegations that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was discovered at properties connected to him in the Philippines and Mexico.”
CNN brought another report about the father of Meghan Markle, noting that First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said, “Mr. Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls.”
A Court Appearance
He said that Markle Sr. possessed “sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades.”
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Friday, Markle Sr. appeared in court in Tampa but was released into house arrest, and restrictions keep him within “the Middle District of Florida and the Central District of California.”
Entin Investigates
Brian Entin covered the arrest during his Brian Entin Investigates podcast on YouTube just hours after the news broke.
The crime journaist recapped what happened after he went through the affidavit. Brian also noted that Meghan Markle’s dad’s arrest wasn’t unexpected. He recapped how authorities uncovered suspected images in the Philippines.
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Subsequently, investigators traced materials to two storage facilities rented by Markle in the Los Angeles area.
Kash Patel’s Statement
Brian cited FBI Director Kash Patel as saying, “Mr. Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.”
The statement continued with Patel saying, “Working with our Justice Department partners, our agents moved quickly, identified and located the explicit material and arrested Mr. Markle in Florida.”
He also spoke about the safety of children, saying authorities wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they are, to find a “safe haven in this country or anywhere they try to hide.”
Markle Sr. Denies The Materials Are His
Entin warned that some of the alleged images are very graphic, so he stopped shy of describing them in detail. But Entin reminded viewers that the Daily Mail brought a lot more information about that.
Thomas Markle Sr. denied the materials belonged to him, but as Entin noted, “there’s a lot of documentation that seems to prove the opposite.”
He also noted that since the arrest, there hadn’t been a follow-up statement by Meghan Markle, but of course, that could change.
Brian did explain to his viewers that he’s an investigative crime journalist, not a royal family commentator. So, he brought in Kinsey Schofield, a royal reporter who hosts Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered.
The Royal Reporter’s Take
Kinsey explained the background by pointing out that she was surprised to see so much information arrive and mentioned Thomas Markle Jr., as well as the Daily Mail and The Sun’s role in finding alleged evidence.
She added, “[The arrest] was just a matter of time, especially when, you know, you have the Philippines coordinating with the FBI and you’ve got Mexico also investigating this as well.”
Then she noted that as a royal reporter, “this sort of thing is not commonly reported in the royal landscape or ecosystem.”
Discussing Meghan’s Letter
The other aspect that Kinsey covered was that Meghan Markle was told not to say anything in 2019, when she received a letter via the police suggesting the alleged crimes. It came from Markle’s ex-wife, Roslyn Loveless, and it’s not totally clear that the royal family knew about it.
She also discussed how it bothers folks in the UK that “Harry and Meghan kept this letter close to the vest,” and because of the delays before they acknowledged it existed, there are some folks who wonder if those delays didn’t put other children in danger.
Speaking about the royal family, she opined, “the ultimate frustration within the household is that this was kept a secret. This is the type of scandal that could jeopardize the entire monarchy.”
Viewers React
In the comments section of the podcast, one viewer wrote, “So Harry knew too and didn’t say anything. He is just as culpable as Meghan.”
Here are a few more responses from the discussion:
- “So MM gets this letter in 2019, does not follow up on it, then spends the next eight years flapping her gums about how concerned she is about children’s safety and women’s issues.”
- “The arrest took place in Lakeland, which falls under the jurisdiction of Polk County, Florida, where Grady Judd serves as Sheriff.”
- “If he is guilty and gets locked up, i hope he spills all the beans…”
A Possible Prison Term
Thomas Markle Sr., per USA Today, was “charged with one count of possession of child sex-abuse material.” He also “faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.”
CNN said that “the court also ordered he undergo a psychiatric evaluation before the case proceeds.”
What do you think? Join the discussion and then come back for more celebrity justice and royal family news and updates.