Prosecutors seek to detain Thomas Markle over cut ankle monitor

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to detain Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, after he allegedly cut off his electronic ankle monitor days after his arrest on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material.

Markle, 82, cut off the device at about 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, first assistant U.S. attorney Bill Essayli said. Authorities arrested him shortly afterward, and he was in custody awaiting a hearing in federal court in Tampa, Florida, according to The Guardian.

“Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions,” Essayli said in a statement reported by CBS News. “We are asking the court to revoke his release and detain him pending trial, and we will continue to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”

FBI agents arrested Markle on Friday at the senior care facility where he lives in Lakeland, Florida. A judge later released him under home detention with electronic monitoring. He is charged with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, CBS News reported.

The charge followed the seizure of approximately 78 items from two storage units Markle rented in the Los Angeles area, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse images, according to The Guardian. Federal authorities allege the material includes sexually explicit photographs of Markle with prepubescent girls. NBC News reported that a witness identified Markle as the adult male in film negatives depicting naked girls. Court documents cited by NBC News say mail and an international driver’s permit bearing Markle’s name were found in one unit; the rentals date back to 2008.

Markle has denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies.” CBS News reported that he told the Daily Mail, “I have never downloaded anything like that in my life.”

Judge Lindsay Griffin has ordered an independent examination of Markle’s mental competency, citing his health condition, advanced age and lack of recall. The judge found reasonable cause to question whether he could understand the proceedings or assist in his defense. The Guardian and CBS News reported that a report is due by Nov. 20.

Authorities in the Philippines began investigating allegations involving images found among Markle’s belongings after his son turned over personal items to police, CBS News reported. The outlet also reported that authorities in Mexico searched a storage unit Markle rented near his former home in Rosarito and said they found three old magazines and VHS tapes containing child sexual abuse material. Those allegations are separate from the federal charge involving the California storage units.

Markle had lived in the Philippines before returning to the United States after a stroke and the amputation of his left leg, according to The Guardian. Meghan said last month she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations. She said she had kept her distance from her father and had not allowed him contact with her children to protect them.

Meghan also said a letter containing allegations about her father had been sent to London police in 2019. British police confirmed receiving the letter and said they had not informed other law enforcement agencies of its claims, NBC News reported.