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Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., allegedly cut off the ankle monitor he was fitted with after he was arrested Friday on child pornography charges.
“He was ordered to wear a location monitoring device. He allegedly cut the bracelet off at 1:45 a.m. last night,” Attorney Bill Essayli, the first assistant United States Attorney in California, announced Tuesday. “Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions.”
“We are asking the court to revoke his release and detain him pending trial, and we will continue to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
Markle Sr., 82, was accused of possessing sick child porn in two California storage units he rented. At least two of the images allegedly included him with a nude prepubescent girl, the feds alleged.
The estranged dad of the Duchess of Sussex appeared in federal court in Florida on Friday where Tampa Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin ruled he could be released to the dementia care home he’d been living in. Griffin also ordered Markle to undergo a psych exam and have no contact with minors.
Markle Sr.’s case is being handled by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles, but his initial appearance was in the Sunshine State, as that’s where he was arrested.
More coverage on Meghan Markle’s estranged dad, Thomas Markle:
- Thomas Markle sensationally released back to dementia care facility after first court appearance
- Surreal moment Thomas Markle is arrested — while wearing odd cat T-shirt — in vile child porn case
- Meghan Markle’s half-brother a ‘person of interest’ in Thomas Markle Sr.’s child porn investigation
- Sick details of Thomas Markle’s alleged child porn cache found in Philippines — as cops confirm FBI involvement
- Child porn allegedly found in Thomas Markle’s Mexico storage unit, FBI alerted: report
He was taken out of the Maravida Senior Living in Lakeland on Friday morning in handcuffs and a wheelchair following his leg amputation in December 2025.
Markle Sr. is facing one count of possession of child abuse material and could face up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.
The two Los Angeles-area storage units Markle Sr. rented allegedly contained slides, film negatives and books with suspected child sexual abuse material. Those units had been rented for roughly 18 years, with the most recent auto-payments being made on the units last month.
A chilling stash of child pornography was also allegedly found in his home in the Philippines and a Mexico storage unit.
Markle Sr. has vehemently denied the allegations as “sick lies.” His criminal defense lawyer didn’t immediately return a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Meghan Markle, 45, previously said she’s “deeply distressed” by the allegations.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” Markle told The Post in a statement.
