Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been arrested in Florida, United States, and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material, federal authorities have confirmed.

The 82-year-old was arrested by FBI agents near Tampa on Friday, November 6, following an investigation into suspected illegal material allegedly kept in two storage units in the Los Angeles area.

According to the US Department of Justice, investigators seized approximately 78 items, including photographic slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material.

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said the allegations were extremely serious and that prosecutors intended to pursue the case under federal law.

An affidavit supporting the criminal complaint reportedly stated that two photographs recovered from the storage units showed a man identified by a witness as Markle with a nude underage girl.

Authorities said the storage units had been rented by Markle since 2008, with investigators tracing the material following information provided during an earlier investigation in the Philippines.

Markle faces one federal count of possessing child sexual abuse material. He was expected to make his initial court appearance in Tampa on Friday. He had not entered a plea at the time of the reports.

If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The arrest follows an investigation that began after Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., reportedly discovered a collection of suspected child sexual abuse images among his father’s belongings at their former home in Cebu City, Philippines.

The discovery prompted reports to authorities in the Philippines and the United States, leading to investigations involving the FBI and Philippine law enforcement agencies.

Before his arrest, Markle had strongly denied the allegations, describing them as false and calling them “sick lies” in an interview with the Daily Mail.

His arrest has also brought renewed attention to his strained relationship with Meghan, who has been largely estranged from her father since 2018, when he did not attend her wedding to Prince Harry.

The Duchess of Sussex previously said she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations and expressed concern for any children who may have been harmed.

Meghan also disclosed that a letter containing troubling allegations about her father had been sent to London’s Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018. She said she had been assured that the concerns were being investigated.

Explaining her decision to keep her children away from their grandfather, she said the choice was made to protect them.

The Metropolitan Police subsequently acknowledged that an internal review was being conducted into how the earlier letter had been handled, with referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies.

The latest arrest marks a significant development in the international investigation, although the allegations against Thomas Markle remain subject to judicial proceedings.