The FBI has found photographs allegedly showing Thomas Markle sexually abusing children in storage units in California, according to a criminal complaint filed against him Friday.
Markle, 82, was arrested Friday morning at the Lakeland, Florida, rehabilitation center where he has been recovering since having his lower left leg amputated last year.
Agents handcuffed Markle and removed him from the facility in his wheelchair. Asked by Our News Outlet whether he was a pedophile, the former Hollywood lighting director, who was born in Pennsylvania, replied: “No.”
The investigation began after Our News Outlet reported discovering a storage unit near Markle’s beachfront home in Mexico in late October. The unit reportedly contained images depicting child sexual abuse.
Our News Outlet referred the information to the FBI. Investigators subsequently located two more storage units rented by Markle in Los Angeles, where he lived before moving to Mexico in 2011.
The Department of Justice charged Thomas Markle with possessing child pornography after investigators located two more storage units in Los Angeles
Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested by the FBI Friday morning in Lakeland, Florida
According to the complaint, the units held photographs apparently taken decades ago that investigators say showed Markle sexually abusing young girls at a motel in the Philippines.
The first unit, rented by Markle from 2008 through the present, contained 27 items seized by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children unit.
Investigators described the evidence as slides, film negatives and books suspected of containing child pornography.
The FBI developed the negatives and said they showed Markle inside what investigators believe was the Anahaw Lodge motel, alongside naked girls described as “pre-pubescent.”
The complaint says at least three photographs depict Markle sexually abusing one of the girls, describing the images in graphic detail.
One of those photographs also reportedly shows another girl of “indeterminate” age in the room with Markle and the child.
Markle is shown being taken into custody by FBI agents in Florida on Friday
The FBI said Markle’s identity was confirmed on November 5, when investigators showed the images to someone who had known him since the 1970s.
Markle rented the second storage unit from June 2008 through the present, according to the complaint.
Agents seized 51 items from that unit, including film negatives, books and slides they suspect contain child pornography.
Markle was scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
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Speaking to the Mail on Sunday last month, Markle said he had paid for sex in the Philippines while single. “I never had sex with anyone under the age of 18,” he said. “I like Asian women, but that is not a crime.”
Markle separated from Doria Ragland, the Duchess of Sussex’s mother, when their daughter was about two years old, around 1983.
The couple formally divorced several years later.
After retiring in 2011, Markle moved to Rosarito, a beach town in northern Mexico just south of Tijuana.
His son from his first marriage, Thomas Jr, told Our News Outlet around the time of the 2018 royal wedding that his father spent retirement watching classic Hollywood movies and living a quiet life.
He described his father’s interests as photography and travel, noting Markle’s fascination with Asian culture and past visits to Thailand and Vietnam.
In January 2025, Markle moved to the Philippines with Thomas Jr. They settled in a short-term rental on the 19th floor of a high-rise apartment building near the beach in Cebu.
“I am ready for a change,” he told Our News Outlet at the time. “I have felt stuck in a rut for some time, and I am ready to meet new people and experience kindness.”
“At 80, it is time to go somewhere where the people are lovely and I can enjoy a quieter, friendlier existence.
“In Southeast Asia, the medical care is good, living costs are reasonable, people are kind and respectful toward older adults, and the food is healthy.
“Mostly, I just want peace. At 80, none of us knows how much time remains. I want whatever time I have left to be peaceful, without the terrible drama of recent years.”
In December 2025, Markle was taken to hospital and underwent surgery for blood clots. Doctors amputated his left leg, and he spent Christmas in the hospital.
By May this year, he had returned to the United States, first going to his home state of Pennsylvania before moving to Florida to recover from the operations.
On October 22, The Sun reported that Thomas Jr had discovered “hundreds, if not thousands” of images depicting child sexual abuse on a laptop and phone belonging to his father. He reported the discovery to police in the Philippines, who have opened an investigation.
Markle has described the allegations as “sick lies.”
On October 29, Our News Outlet reported finding a storage unit near Rosarito, Mexico, that allegedly contained child pornography. The outlet notified the FBI.
The FBI later located the two additional storage units in Los Angeles.
