According to court filings, Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has returned to federal jail in Florida after reportedly taking off his ankle monitor.
On Tuesday, Markle appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Tampa, Florida, and was refused bond. He took down the monitor early that morning, according to the prosecution.
According to court records, US Judge Lindsay S. Griffin determined on Tuesday that Markle had broken the terms of his pretrial release.
Markle's Pretrial Release Revoked
According to court filings, Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has returned to federal jail in Florida after reportedly taking off his ankle monitor.
On Tuesday, Markle appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Tampa, Florida, and was refused bond. He took down the monitor early that morning, according to the prosecution.
According to court records, US Judge Lindsay S. Griffin determined on Tuesday that Markle had broken the terms of his pretrial release.
Markle's Pretrial Release Revoked
“We will continue to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law,” he added.
Markle, 82, was first arrested last week after the FBI, acting on warrants, searched storage units in Los Angeles registered to him which he had rented since 2008, with the last payment being made in October this year, the DoJ said.
Inside the units the FBI says agents seized about 78 items, including film negatives, slides and books that they allege contained child sex abuse material.
Witnesses “positively identified” Markle in two of the images believed to contain child sex abuse material.
Markle Faces Child Abuse Charges
Following his arrest, Markle made an appearance in court last week. He was placed in home detention as one of the conditions for his pretrial release, although no plea was entered at the hearing.
The Department of Justice has accused him with one count of possessing indecent pictures of children.
Markle “allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions,” according to a statement made last week by FBI director Kash Patel.
Meghan Distances Herself From Father
“Sick lies” is how Markle has described the accusations.
Following a string of strokes, he relocated to the Philippines last year and resided in Cebu until May. After having his leg amputated, he was supposedly relearning how to walk in Florida.
Since 2018, the duchess and her father have been at odds. She informed him that she and the authorities were aware that he had mistreated young females, and she ended their relationship last year.
Meghan acknowledged the letter’s existence in a previously released statement, writing, “I am deeply distressed… my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.”
