Thomas Markle, the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has been arrested by federal agents in Florida over charges related to child sexual abuse material, according to the Associated Press.

The 82-year-old was reportedly taken into custody on Friday morning, November 6, 2026, near Tampa, Florida.

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People familiar with the investigation confirmed the arrest to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

The arrest follows an investigation in the Philippines after Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr, reportedly alerted authorities to suspected child sexual abuse material he said he discovered among family belongings at his father’s former home in Cebu.

Philippine Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators had recovered approximately 7,500 photographs and one video from devices linked to Thomas Markle Sr.

According to Remulla, the materials allegedly depicted underage children of Asian, Latin American and European descent, with some appearing to be as young as 10 or 11.

The Philippine authorities are examining the recovered materials as part of an ongoing investigation.

Markle Jr, who initially reported the discovery, was also named a person of interest by Philippine authorities on Thursday, although officials stressed that he had not been formally treated as a suspect.

The investigation has also drawn attention to reports of suspected illegal material at locations connected to Markle in Mexico.

However, those claims have not been independently established in the available official accounts.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had earlier confirmed that it was aware of the allegations and would provide assistance to Philippine authorities where appropriate.

The agency also said it would investigate any related potential violations of US federal law.

Thomas Markle has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as lies and insisting that he could never do what he was accused of.

His daughter Meghan previously said she was deeply distressed by the allegations and expressed concern for any children who might have been harmed.

In a statement, the Duchess revealed that a letter containing disturbing allegations about her father had been sent to the Metropolitan Police in London in 2018.

She said the information had subsequently been shared with her and that she had been assured the matter was being investigated.

Meghan also explained that her decision to keep her children away from her father was intended to protect them.

The arrest marks a significant development in the international investigation, which involves authorities in the United States and the Philippines.

However, the specific federal charges against Thomas Markle and further details of the US proceedings had not been publicly disclosed in the Associated Press report.