Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested in Florida on Friday in connection with allegations that he possessed child sexual abuse material, according to CBS News. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The arrest followed an investigation that included inquiries by authorities in the Philippines, CBS reported. Markle has denied the claims, saying he had never downloaded such material.
Earlier reports about the investigation prompted Meghan to say she had known of the allegations since 2018 and that they had been shared with British authorities at the time. She said she and Prince Harry decided to keep her father from contact with their children to protect them.
“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,” Meghan said in a statement reported by CBS.
The arrest does not establish guilt. Details about the evidence and the formal status of any charges have not been independently confirmed in the reporting reviewed.