Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested Friday, November 6, in Florida on a federal charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The 82-year-old was taken into custody near Tampa and is expected to make his initial court appearance in federal court in Tampa.

Federal prosecutors allege that Markle kept sexually explicit photographs, including images of himself with prepubescent girls, inside two storage units in the Los Angeles area. According to the Justice Department, he had rented the units for nearly two decades, with the most recent payments made last month.

FBI agents searched both facilities under court-authorized warrants and seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material. A federal affidavit describes two images depicting an adult man, identified by a witness as Markle, with a nude prepubescent girl. Another image allegedly showed a nude prepubescent girl in a room that appeared to be part of a motel in the Philippines. The affidavit also describes additional photographs that appeared to show Markle with children in various stages of undress.

The federal investigation intensified after Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., reportedly discovered a large collection of suspected abuse images while clearing out his father’s former residence in Cebu City, Philippines. Markle Jr. said he reported the discovery to Philippine authorities and contacted the FBI. Investigators subsequently received information about the storage units in California, leading to the searches and the seizure of the material.

The arrest follows weeks of scrutiny surrounding allegations against Meghan’s father. Meghan recently said she was “deeply distressed” after reports emerged that images had been found among her father’s belongings. She also disclosed that a letter containing what she described as “troubling allegations” about him had been sent to London police in 2018.

Meghan said she had been assured the allegations in the letter were being investigated and maintained that her decision to distance herself from her father and prevent him from having contact with her children was made to protect them.

The strained relationship between father and daughter has been widely publicized since Meghan married Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Thomas Markle Sr., a retired television lighting and photography director, did not attend the wedding. The couple have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Markle had been living in the Philippines before suffering a stroke and undergoing the amputation of his left leg earlier this year, forcing his return to the United States. His son said he had supported and cared for his father for years but would no longer maintain contact unless required to testify against him.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said prosecutors intend to pursue the case fully, describing the allegations as extremely serious. FBI Director Kash Patel also confirmed the arrest and said the investigation involved cooperation among federal agents and law enforcement partners in several countries.

Markle is charged with one count of possession of child pornography under federal law. The criminal complaint contains allegations, not a finding of guilt, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted in court. If found guilty, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.