Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to overturn the release of Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, after the 82-year-old allegedly cut off an ankle monitor while awaiting trial on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material.
Markle was arrested Friday after authorities found images of child sexual abuse in storage units belonging to him in California, including sexually explicit photographs of himself with minors, the Justice Department said. He was taken into custody in Tampa, Florida, where he was placed under house arrest.
He allegedly turned off his ankle monitor at 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Tuesday.
“We ask the court to revoke his release and detain him pending trial, and we will continue to pursue this case to the fullest extent of the law,” Essayli said.
FBI investigators found slides, film negatives and books containing “suspected child pornography” in two storage units rented by Markle in Los Angeles, according to court documents. The film’s negatives included images of naked “pre-pubescent” girls with an adult man, whom a witness positively identified as Markle, the FBI said.
One unit had mail bearing Thomas Markle’s name and an international driver’s license with his name, date of birth and a photo appearing to be him, according to a criminal complaint. Markle’s warehouse rentals date back to the summer of 2008, according to the complaint.
Last week’s seizure came weeks after it was announced that an investigation into Markle had been launched in the Philippines following allegations that he kept similar images in his home while living there. Thousands of photos depicting “minor men and women” were recovered, authorities said.
Markle lives in a senior care facility in Florida, according to the Associated Press. He was reportedly forced to return to the United States after living in the Philippines after suffering a stroke and having his leg amputated.
A judge ordered an independent psychological evaluation to see if Markle was competent to stand trial. The order cited Markle’s medical condition, age and lack of recall as reasonable grounds to believe he may suffer from a mental “disease or defect” that would render him mentally incompetent.
Markle has denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies.” An attorney for Markle listed in Markle’s court records did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from NBC News.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan declined to comment on the arrest last week.
Last month, Meghan revealed she learned of the allegations against her father years ago. She said in a statement that she was “deeply disturbed” by the allegations and that her relationship with him had become limited over the years.
He did not attend her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, which received widespread media attention.
Meghan said she also chose to keep her children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, away from her father for their protection.
“The scale of what has been uncovered is more sickening than anyone could ever imagine,” she said.
British police confirmed that Meghan received a letter in January 2019 containing “a number of allegations relating to alleged offenses outside the United Kingdom.” London’s Metropolitan Police referred to the country’s watchdog for its handling of the allegations, saying it had failed to inform other law enforcement agencies of the allegations.
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