Judge jails Meghan Markle's father after he allegedly cut off his ankle monitor
Prosecutors say Thomas Markle, 82, removed the device at 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, days after his release on a child sexual abuse material charge.
Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was ordered jailed on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at a hearing in Tampa, Florida. Prosecutors say he cut off his ankle monitor at 1:45 a.m. that day. A federal judge had let him stay out of custody pending trial four days earlier, after his arrest at a senior care home in Lakeland.
First Assistant Bill Essayli of the Central District of California said, "Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions," and that prosecutors asked the court to revoke the release. Markle faces one count of possessing child sexual abuse material, which carries up to 20 years in prison. The charge followed the seizure of approximately 78 items with suspected child sexual abuse material, including slides, film negatives and books, from storage units in the Los Angeles area.
Markle has called the allegations "sick lies." In her written order, Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin called his housing situation "untenable." A mental competency exam was ordered, with a report due Nov. 20.
Meghan has said she was "deeply distressed" and that a letter with allegations about her father had been sent to London police.
- 1:45 a.m.time prosecutors say Markle cut off the monitor, TuesdayYahoo News
- approximately 78 itemsseized from storage units in the Los Angeles areaYahoo News
- 20 yearsstatutory maximum sentence if convictedYahoo News
- Nov. 20deadline for the competency exam reportThe Independent
Three sides of the story
19 news outlets reported this
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Liberal9 outlets
The jailing and the Justice Department's account
The Boston Globe leads with the judge jailing Markle after he removed the device, quotes Essayli's "Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions," and notes Essayli did not know why it was cut off. It also reports Judge Griffin's finding that Markle's housing had become "untenable." The Daily Beast frames the story as "Fresh Legal Woes," notes Markle has only one ankle after his left leg was amputated below the knee, and says Meghan's half-brother Thomas Markle Jr. was the first to report their father to police.
Yahoo News builds on Essayli's statement, adds Director Kash Patel's words and says Philippine authorities plan to file their own charges, as ITV News reported. The Independent leads with Markle being taken back into custody and cites Essayli's X post. All four carry Meghan's statement that she was "deeply distressed" and that keeping distance from her father was meant "to protect them."
- The Boston Globe: Judge jails Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, after he cut off his ankle monitor
- The Daily Beast: Meghan Markle’s Dad Thomas Markle Sr. Hit With Fresh Legal Woes
- Yahoo News: Meghan Markle’s father cut off ankle monitor after child sexual abuse material arrest, DOJ says
- The Independent: Meghan Markle’s father Thomas cut off his ankle monitor, DOJ says
Center4 outlets
What the monitor removal means for Markle's case
BBC News leads with the detention and rests it on a spokesperson, who told the BBC the judge ordered Markle jailed without bond. It adds Griffin's written reasoning, a "lack of suitable housing," and the Justice Department's account that witnesses "positively identified" Markle in two images.
It notes Markle has called the allegations "sick lies." Newsweek's headline says Markle is "accused" of removing the monitor. Its report says prosecutors are asking the court to revoke release, and it explains what a judge weighs: probable cause of a violation and whether the removal was intentional.
Newsweek also reports that Meghan joined Prince Harry in Brussels, where Harry gave the speech she was scheduled to deliver, and cites The Daily Telegraph saying she was too overcome with emotion. NewsNation's headline says Markle cut off the monitor "after child porn arrest," citing the Justice Department.
Conservative6 outlets
The charges, the alleged images and the custody
The New York Post headline calls it a "bombshell child porn arrest" and credits a prosecutor with the news. It details the allegations: federal authorities say a witness identified Markle as the adult man shown with a nude prepubescent girl in at least two of the images. It quotes Essayli's office saying Judge Griffin "ordered Thomas Wayne Markle detained," and notes that the storage units had been rented for roughly 18 years.
It says Markle has vehemently denied the allegations as "sick lies." The Washington Examiner reports, citing the Justice Department, that Markle is back in custody in Tampa with a hearing that afternoon. It also recounts the competency exam due Nov. 20 and the possible 20-year sentence.
The Washington Times says authorities said Markle cut the device off days after his arrest over charges of possessing child sexual abuse material.
- New York Post: Meghan Markle’s father Thomas cuts off ankle monitor after bombshell child porn arrest: prosecutor
- Washington Examiner: Meghan Markle’s father removes ankle monitor after child sexual abuse material arrest, DOJ says
- The Washington Times: Estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, cuts off ankle monitor days after arrest
- Conservative outlets did not mentionJudge Griffin's written finding that Markle's housing had become untenable Reported by The Boston Globe, BBC News
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- Year a letter with allegations was sent to London police
All sources: 20 articles from 19 outlets
Liberal (10)
- ABC News: DOJ says Thomas Markle Sr. cut off ankle monitor following arrest
- Business Insider: A timeline of Meghan Markle's relationship with her father, Thomas Markle
- Los Angeles Times: Meghan Markle's father Thomas Markle Sr. cut off his ankle monitor following child porn arrest
- The Boston Globe: Judge jails Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, after he cut off his ankle monitor
- The Daily Beast: Meghan Markle’s Dad Thomas Markle Sr. Hit With Fresh Legal Woes
- The Guardian: Thomas Markle, Meghan’s father, cut off his ankle monitor, DoJ says
- The Independent: Thomas Markle should be detained separately after cutting off electronic tag, judge rules
- The Independent: Meghan Markle’s father Thomas cut off his ankle monitor, DOJ says
- Yahoo News: Meghan Markle’s father cut off ankle monitor after child sexual abuse material arrest, DOJ says
Center (4)
- BBC News: Meghan's father Thomas Markle detained for allegedly cutting off ankle monitor, officials say
- NewsNation: Meghan Markle's dad cuts off ankle monitor after child porn arrest: DOJ
- Newsweek: Thomas Markle Accused of Removing Location Monitor After Arrest
- UPI: Thomas Markle release challenged after alleged ankle monitor violation
Conservative (6)
- Breitbart News: Meghan Markle Father Detained for Allegedly Removing Ankle Monitor as Rep Paulina Luna Demands Death Penalty
- New York Post: Meghan Markle’s father Thomas cuts off ankle monitor after bombshell child porn arrest: prosecutor
- The Blaze: Thomas Markle — father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex — cuts off ankle monitor after child porn arrest: DOJ
- The Epoch Times: Judge Jails Thomas Markle, Father of Meghan, After He Cut Off His Ankle Monitor
- The Washington Times: Estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, cuts off ankle monitor days after arrest
- Washington Examiner: Meghan Markle’s father removes ankle monitor after child sexual abuse material arrest, DOJ says
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