Meghan’s Dad Fronts Court After Child Abuse Material Arrest
Thomas Markle Sr., father of the Duchess of Sussex, faces a federal charge over child sexual abuse material allegedly found in two Los Angeles-area storage units. The Department of Justice says agents seized about 78 items. A source says Meghan is devastated.
Thomas Markle Sr., the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, faces a federal charge involving child sexual abuse material after his arrest on November 6 in Lakeland, Florida. Meghan’s dad fronts court as the case begins. The allegations have not been tested in court.
Federal agents escorted Markle from the assisted-living home where he lives. He left in his wheelchair, handcuffed.
What investigators say they found
The charge stems from material allegedly found in storage units Markle rented in the Los Angeles area. According to the Department of Justice, investigators seized approximately 78 items containing suspected child sexual abuse material from two units.
Markle had rented the units for almost two decades. The items included slides, film negatives and books, the department said.
Meghan and her mother
A source close to Meghan told People in its cover story this week that she is shaken. “She is devastated,” the source said. “This is her dad, someone she grew up trusting and was very close to for many years.”
The source added: “The allegations are devastating for her. There’s a lot of sadness.”
Meghan and Markle are estranged. Another source told the magazine she is coping with support around her. “She’s holding up. She has a lot of friends and family to lean on.”
Doria Ragland’s role
Much of that support comes from her mother, Doria Ragland, the source said. “Meghan and her mother are very close,” the insider said. “They’re supporting each other.”
Reports say Ragland has also helped the authorities. She was reportedly shown redacted versions of suspected abuse images so she could identify her former husband as the man pictured.
The same source said Meghan is prepared to cooperate with investigators. She has been in frequent contact with her mother, the source said, even though they are on different sides of the Atlantic.
“She misses her mom since moving to England, and this makes her miss her even more,” the source said. “They’ve been speaking a lot. Being able to talk to her mom helps, even though she wishes they could be together.”
Markle is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The Department of Justice has described the material as suspected.
