Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle’s father, has been arrested by the FBI as part of an investigation into child sexual abuse material, according to an exclusive report by the Daily Mail. The Duchess of Sussex cut off all contact with him years ago.
Investigations are underway in the United States, Mexico and the Philippines, where authorities are examining material discovered at premises where Markle had lived or stored personal belongings.
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According to the report, federal agents searched the Maravida senior living facility in Lakeland, Florida, where he lives. The operation followed the discovery in recent weeks of large quantities of inappropriate material at properties linked to him in Mexico and the Philippines. A Daily Mail source said the arrest was for possession of child sexual abuse material, known as CSAM.
US federal authorities had been notified only days before the arrest about such material found in a storage unit rented by Markle near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico. Meanwhile, Philippine police are reportedly close to bringing formal charges following the discovery last month of images of child sexual abuse at his former home there.
The search of the Rosarito storage unit
The investigation in Mexico expanded with a raid on the Rosarito storage unit. Members of the Mexican National Guard entered the facility, which is about three miles from Markle’s former home in the coastal town.
The team included digital forensics specialists, a signals investigator and representatives of the Baja California state attorney general’s office. They used flashlights to examine the boxes inside. A witness said one agent was visibly shaken when he saw the material and exclaimed “Ay cabrón,” a Spanish expression that can be rendered in English as “Oh God!” or “What the hell!”
The document authorizing the search shows that investigators had secured court approval to look for evidence of child sexual abuse material. The authorization also covered evidence of suspected aggravated human trafficking.
According to a source, a computer, USB storage devices, VHS tapes and a stack of magazines, among other items, were examined and seized during the operation. Authorities then sealed the premises and posted an official seizure notice.
The Duchess of Sussex’s father had rented storage unit 22 in 2017. Rent payments had stopped two years earlier, and the unit had not been emptied before he left for the Philippines in early 2025.
The business owner and employees said they had no knowledge of the items stored in the unit and expressed horror at the discovery. When information about the material first became public, Markle categorically denied any involvement in illegal activity. In a statement to the Daily Mail, he denied having had a storage unit in Rosarito.
What the searched premises contained
The items included family keepsakes, letters and photographs with no suspicious content. But the storage unit also contained black-and-white photographs of naked Asian women, some of whom appeared very young, as well as books and magazines depicting children inappropriately and describing them as “Lolita.”
Strips of 35 mm photographic negatives showing children on a beach were also discovered. The old VHS tapes included titles such as “Boys, Brother and Sister – Russian XX” and “Manila Nites.”
Old computers and hard drives were found in the same area. Among the items was a paper plate bearing the words “DARK WEB” and several website addresses written in red ink.
Court authorization and coordination with the FBI
FBI agents based in Southern California, who coordinate with law enforcement agencies south of the US border, are also involved in the case.
According to the search warrant, the Mexican prosecutors’ request was presented to Judge Estefani Moreno Gutierrez of the Baja California judiciary during a closed-door meeting on October 30.
The document specified that the operation’s sole purpose was to search for, locate and secure evidence of child sexual abuse material. This included printed material, USB devices and memory cards from cameras or mobile phones.
Investigators were also instructed to identify communications and electronic devices that might contain sexually explicit videos, including mobile phones, laptops, computers and tablets.
Markle settled in Rosarito in 2011. The quiet coastal area is known as a destination for American retirees. His relationship with his daughter, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, broke down during his time there. In early 2025, he left Mexico to move to the Philippines.
The separate investigation in the Philippines
A separate investigation is continuing in the Southeast Asian country, launched after allegations by Markle’s son. He said he had discovered hundreds, if not thousands, of images of child sexual abuse in boxes his father had brought to the Philippines.
Cebu City police subsequently confirmed finding sexually explicit content on digital devices among the personal belongings. Police said the material included videos involving underage girls and boys.
Markle dismissed reports linking him to suspected child pornography in the Philippines, calling them sick lies fabricated by his son.
He acknowledged having paid for sexual services in the country but insisted he had never had sex with anyone under 18. He repeated that denial in his statement to the Daily Mail last week, adding that his preference for Asian women was not a crime.
The Duchess of Sussex’s response
After the allegations were published, Meghan Markle said she was deeply shocked by the information that had emerged. Referring to the ongoing investigation in the Philippines, she said her thoughts were with any child who might have suffered abuse.
Prince Harry’s wife first became aware of allegations against her father in 2019, when a letter was forwarded to her by London’s Metropolitan Police.
The letter is believed to have been sent by Rosalynn Lovelace, Markle’s first wife, who has since died. It alleged that he had admitted traveling to the Far East to have sex with underage girls.
According to information about the letter’s contents, Lovelace wrote that she had asked Thomas about the allegation and that he had denied it. However, she claimed he had said he traveled to the Philippines and Thailand because sex with 12-year-olds was legal there. This statement remains an allegation contained in the letter, not a verified fact or an accurate description of those countries’ laws.
