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Markle Sr. Allegedly Cuts Off Ankle Monitor After Child Pornography Arrest
· Confirmed
In Short: Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle, allegedly cut off his ankle monitor days after being arrested on charges of possession of child pornography.
Meghan Markle's father cut off his ankle monitor after arrest for child sex abuse material: DOJ.
Meghan Markle's father in custody after cutting off ankle monitor. NBCLA
According to federal prosecutors, Markle Sr. Removed his ankle monitor at 1:45 a.m. EST, shortly after his arrest.
Markle Sr. Was ordered to wear a location monitoring device after a federal judge allowed him to remain out of custody pending his trial.
Inside the storage units, agents say they found approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books that contained suspected child pornography.
The Justice Department is now asking a judge to revoke the conditions of Markle Sr.'s release, citing his removal of the ankle monitor.
Markle Sr. Was arrested last week after authorities searched his storage units in Los Angeles, where they found material suspected of containing child sexual abuse imagery.
A witness who has known Markle Sr. Since the 1970s identified him as the man in at least two photographs with a minor, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Markle Sr. Was released under the condition that he has no contact with minors and is electronically monitored.
The judge noted Markle Sr.’s health, age, and lack of recall as reasonable cause to believe he may have some mental “disease or defect” that would render him mentally incompetent.
Markle Sr. Had been staying at an adult living facility, but it would not take him back, according to a spokesperson.
Meghan Markle, in a statement, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the allegations and that her relationship with her father had been limited over the years.
What this adds
Federal prosecutors are seeking to revoke Markle Sr.'s release conditions after he cut off his ankle monitor.
The investigation into Markle Sr. was initiated by his son, who reported him to Philippine authorities.
The court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelet was removed while Markle Sr. was awaiting a federal hearing in Tampa, Florida.
Markle Sr. has denied the accusations, calling them “bulls—” and “lies.”
Background
Federal prosecutors say Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle, cut off his ankle monitor days after being arrested on child pornography charges.
Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle, cut off his ankle monitor while on home confinement following his arrest, according to the Justice Department.
What's confirmed
- Four days ago, Markle Sr., 82, was ordered to wear a location monitoring device after a federal judge allowed him to remain out of custody pending his trial, according to Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.
- Last month, Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr. claimed he’d found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child pornography images inside four large boxes at the Cebu, Philippines, home of his father, Markle Sr., and contacted authorities, according to the British tabloid the Sun.
What's still developing
- Markle has vehemently denied child porn allegations in the past... though the investigation into him was kickstarted by his son, who reported him to the Philippine authorities.
- FBI Director Kash Patel ripped into Markle during a press conference after his arrest.
- Investigators identified approximately 18 images they believed could constitute child sexual abuse material, although their review was ongoing when the complaint was filed.
- Markle's age and reported health circumstances could also be relevant to the court's assessment.
- The alleged incident does not automatically mean Markle will be jailed, however.
- A psychiatric examination was ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin to assess whether Markle understands the proceedings and can assist in his own defense.
- Cutting off a court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelet could significantly complicate Markle's efforts to remain free while awaiting trial.
- The Duchess of Sussex also said that “troubling and disturbing” allegations about Markle Sr. sparked her decision to cut him out of her life in 2018, the same year she married Prince Harry.
- Newsweek has reached out to Markle's attorney for comment.
- Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, had his pretrial release revoked after cutting off an ankle monitor while he was awaiting trial on charges of possession of child sexual abuse materials, according to court documents.
Sources
- Los Angeles Timeslink
- NBC Newslink
- Pagesixlink
- Peoplelink
- Tmzlink
- Abcnewslink
- Newsweeklink
- WarpBeat — background on Markle Sr. Allegedly Cuts Off Ankle Monitor After Child Pornography Arrest link
- WarpBeat — background on DOJ Seeks Revocation of Thomas Markle Sr.'s Release After Cutting Off Ankle Monitor link
- NBCLA — video link