Meghan's father arrested over alleged child sexual abuse material

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's estranged father Thomas Markle has been arrested by the FBI for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The 82-year-old was taken into custody as FBI agents raided Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida, where he has been living, on Friday morning.

Confirming the arrest, representatives for the U.S. Department of Justice wrote on X, "Thomas Wayne Markle, 82, of Lakeland, Florida, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging he kept child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades."

They added, "If convicted, Markle would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison."

Markle is currently in custody in Tampa and will appear in court later on Friday.

The arrest comes after allegations that indecent materials were discovered at properties connected to the retired TV lighting director in the Philippines and Mexico in recent weeks.

Meghan's father moved to Florida after having his leg amputated in the Philippines last year. He had recently relocated to the home specialising in dementia care.

A multinational criminal investigation into Markle is ongoing. It began after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., 60, claimed to have discovered illegal material at his former home in Cebu, the Philippines.

Mexican police raided a storage space in Rosarito over the weekend, three miles from Markle Snr's former home.

Responding to the original allegations in the statement last month, Meghan said, "I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed."

The royal has been estranged from her father since 2018.

Markle Snr previously denied his son's claims, telling the Daily Mail, "It's just a bunch of lies. It's sick. I have no idea why (his son) Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies."