Thomas Markle was taken back into custody after cutting an electronic monitoring device off his ankle, the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
The 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was being held ahead of a hearing in federal court in Tampa, Florida.
He removed the ankle bracelet at 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday and was arrested shortly after, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
“Four days ago, a federal judge allowed Mr. Markle to remain out of custody pending trial,” Essayli wrote in a post on X.
“He was ordered to wear a location monitoring device. He allegedly cut the bracelet off at 1:45 a.m. last night. 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 had first been arrested on Friday on allegations of keeping child sexual abuse material in storage units in California.
That arrest followed the seizure of approximately 78 items, among them slides, film negatives and books that contained suspected child sexual abuse images, held in storage in the Los Angeles area, Essayli said.
When he was detained last week, he was taken by ambulance from a senior care center in Lakeland. Hours later, a judge allowed his release on condition that he be electronically monitored, which typically means wearing an ankle tether. The judge also ordered a mental competency exam and a report by Nov. 20.
Markle’s daughter, Meghan, married Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in 2018. They have two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
She is an American citizen and an actor who starred in the U.S. television drama Suits.
Meghan said she was “deeply distressed” by allegations that a collection of child sexual abuse images had been found at her father's former home.
She also revealed that a letter containing “troubling allegations” about him had been sent to police in London in 2019.
“It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” Meghan said of the letter.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them.”
Thomas Markle was living in the Philippines earlier this year when he suffered a stroke and had his left leg amputated, which forced him to return to the U.S.
The arrest followed reports by The Sun that Meghan’s half brother found a collection of child sexual abuse images while clearing out their father’s home in the Philippines. That discovery led to information about two U.S. storage units in California, which Markle had rented since 2008.
If you are a child and you need help because something has happened to you, you can call Childline free of charge on 0800 1111. You can also call the NSPCC if you are an adult and you are worried about a child, on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adults on 0808 801 0331
