Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been placed back in federal custody after prosecutors accused him of removing his ankle monitor while under house arrest.
According to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Markle cut off his electronic monitoring device in Tampa, Florida, at 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 1). He was reportedly arrested shortly afterward, per the Associated Press, via TMZ. He is currently being held in jail without bond.
Meanwhile, Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna has called for Markle to receive the death penalty, describing him as “a sick human.”
Federal authorities arrested Markle outside Tampa last Friday (Nov. 6), charging him with one count of possessing child pornography. Following the execution of search warrants, the FBI searched two Los Angeles storage units the 82-year-old had rented since 2008, seizing approximately 78 items, including images investigators allege contain child sexual abuse material.
According to the FBI, some of the negatives reportedly depict nude underage girls alongside an adult man, whom a witness allegedly identified as Markle.
Following his initial arrest, Markle was released under home detention and fitted with an electronic location monitor. He did not enter a plea at the time. FBI Director Kash Patel also publicly condemned him during a press conference following the arrest.
The investigation reportedly began after Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., claimed he discovered thousands of inappropriate images while clearing out his father’s belongings from his home in Cebu City, Philippines. Philippine authorities have since identified Markle Jr. as a person of interest.
Markle has denied the accusations, describing himself as “shocked” that his son would accuse him of being a pedophile.
In October, reports emerged that Markle had been diagnosed with dementia. He subsequently moved into a memory-care facility in Lakeland, Florida. A judge has since ordered an independent psychological assessment to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial, taking into account his age, health, and ability to recall events.
Markle has been estranged from his daughter for years. He shares Meghan with her mother, Doria Ragland, 70. The Duchess of Sussex previously said she was “deeply distressed,” adding that “any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them,” according to PBS.
Markle remains in federal custody as the court-ordered competency evaluation proceeds, while prosecutors seek to keep him detained until trial. He is also expected to face an arraignment in California at a later date.
