Thomas Markle returned to custody after removing ankle monitor
Thomas Markle, 82, has been ordered back into federal detention without bond after cutting off his electronic ankle monitor in the early hours of 10 Nov, prosecutors say. The removal happened days after his 6 Nov arrest on a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material. A US magistrate judge in Tampa, Florida, revoked his home confinement and bond. Federal agents seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books, from two Los Angeles storage units he had rented since 2008. The case is pending in the US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.
Key facts
- Prosecutors say Markle is charged with one count of possession of child pornography.
- A federal judge ordered a mental competency exam and a report due by 20 Nov.
- Markle was living in an assisted living facility in Lakeland, Florida, near Tampa, when arrested.
- His son, Thomas Markle Jr, reported him to police in the Philippines and the FBI after finding images in his belongings in Cebu City.
- Meghan Markle said she was deeply distressed by the allegations against her father.
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First published from The Independent, The Guardian, PBS NewsHour, South China Morning Post and RTÉ News