Hands trembling in his cuffs, Thomas Markle Sr, looked dazed and disheveled as he was wheeled into a Tampa courtroom on Friday to face federal charges of possessing child pornography, hours after FBI agents arrested the Duchess of Sussex'
s estranged
82-year-old father at his Florida care home.
Prosecutors allege that photographs seized from two Los Angeles storage units include images of him with minor girls. He was released on house arrest that afternoon, and will likely be monitored with an ankle tag on his remaining leg.
As Markle was pushed behind a wooden desk in courtroom 12A he glanced nervously at the handful of reporters before staring silently ahead, his hands in his lap.
An FBI agent was sitting two feet behind him, but there didn't appear to be any family or supporters in court.
The silver-haired retiree was wearing the same clothes – a scruffy T-shirt depicting a cat in sunglasses, black sweatpants and slip-on sneakers – as during his earlier arrest.
Federal Judge Lindsay Griffin began by asking if he had seen a copy of the criminal complaint.
'I have not, I guess, I don't, I don't,' Markle stammered in a weak voice, breaking off. 'I have no knowledge.'
The Duchess of Sussex's estranged father Thomas Markle, 82, was arrested by the FBI in Florida on Friday for allegedly possessing child porn
Markle, pictured during his arrest, is accused of possessing sexual material, including photographs allegedly depicting himself with minor girls, according to an unsealed federal complaint
Judge Griffin told Markle the purpose of the hearing was to advise him of the charges and his rights.
'The purpose is to advise you of the charges and make sure you understand,' she said.
Judge Griffin said she had reviewed a financial affidavit submitted by Markle's court-appointed lawyer, Mary Claire Wolf.
She said Markle was reliant on a small retirement income and was thus entitled to a federal defender.
Judge Griffin proceeded to summarize the complaint for Markle, describing how he was accused of possessing child pornography found in two storage units in California.
'It alleges that you are depicted in two of the images,' she told Markle.
Asked if he understood, Markle winced and said 'yes' in a low voice.
FBI agents swarmed the 82-year-old's Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida. Markle was released under house arrest on Friday afternoon
Markle, pictured arriving at court, made his initial appearance in United States District Court in the Middle District of Florida in Tampa
Markle was released and ordered to live under house arrest at the Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida, where he lives and was arrested Friday morning.
He will also be subject to electronic monitoring which will likely take the form of a GPS ankle tag.
Markle listened in silence while Judge Griffin told the court: 'Mr Markle shall not have contact with minors.
'He shall not use or have access to an electronic device capable of connecting to the internet.'
The prohibited devices include cell phones, laptops, tablets, gaming consoles and smart devices, the court heard.
The judge said Markle could choose whether to have his preliminary hearing in the middle district of Florida, where he was arrested, or California, where the charges were filed.
Markle was arrested for possession of child porn. Federal agents swooped in on the 82-year-old's Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida early Friday
When a Daily Mail reporter asked him if he was a pedophile, Markle responded in a weak voice: 'No.' He remained silent when asked if he had ever collected child pornography
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The only way he can avoid being transferred to California is if he pleads guilty to an offense that could see him locked up for 20 years.
Before that decision can be made, Judge Griffin said the frail, elderly Markle should undergo mental health screening and a court-ordered evaluation to see if he's capable of following the case.
'It is important in these circumstances, given the age and health condition of Mr Markle that there should be an evaluation to determine if Mr Markle understands the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him,' she said.
The court was then told that Markle 'couldn't remember' where his passport was.
'I'm going to order your release to the location that you came from,' Judge Griffin added.
Assistant US Attorney Courtney Derry did not oppose Markle's release.
The developments come after federal agents had earlier swooped on the care home to take the former Hollywood lighting director into custody.
His arrest comes after the discovery of troves of alleged indecent material kept in storage in the Philippines, Mexico and Los Angeles.
Markle relocated to Florida in the spring to learn to walk again after having his leg amputated in the Philippines.
His arrest comes just days after the Daily Mail alerted the feds to a stash of child porn inside a storage unit he'd rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico
Among the photos in the unit is an undated image of Markle on a bed and with his arm wrapped around a young Asian female, both fully clothed. She appears, alone and naked, in several other pictures as well
Mexican police raided the unit in Rosarito just one day after the Daily Mail alerted the FBI. Guardia Nacional officers who identified themselves as state sex crimes investigators entered the 5ft by 10ft vault just after midnight
He was moved to Maravida, an assisted living facility for patients with Alzheimer's and dementia costing an estimated $3,900 per month, as recently as last week.
If Markle is confirmed to be suffering from dementia, it could make prosecuting him considerably more difficult, according to legal experts.
'The court would have to make a decision about whether the defendant is in a condition both to understand and participate effectively in the process,' attorney Bruce Zagaris told The Telegraph.
The globe-spanning police probe into Markle's alleged lust for children began last month when he was reported to police in the Philippines by his own son.
Thomas Markle Jr, 60, had allegedly found 'hundreds, if not thousands' of child sex images in boxes his dad had shipped to the Far East, according to The Sun newspaper.
Detectives in the city of Cebu later confirmed that they had found 'explicit content' – including footage of 'male and female minors' – on digital devices found among the contents.
The Daily Mail subsequently discovered a stash of vile images in a lock-up rented by Meghan's father in Rosarito, Mexico, where he lived before moving to the Far East early last year.
The Duchess of Sussex said she was 'deeply distressed' by the allegations engulfing her father in the Philippines. She has not commented on the developments in Mexico since they surfaced last week
Federal charging documents center their case, however, on two further lock-ups registered to Markle in Los Angeles, for which he was still making payments as recently as last month.
Markle Jr is believed to have alerted agents to the containers that are reportedly 'stuffed to the brim' with keepsakes from his father's Hollywood career as well as Meghan's former furniture and possessions.
The federal complaint says agents executed search warrants on both units, seizing a total of approximately 78 items, including slides, 35mm film negatives and books suspected of containing child pornography.
Investigators say they have so far identified 18 images of suspected child pornography among the negatives and that two of the images recovered depict Markle with prepubescent girls.
Markle has admitted paying for sex in the Philippines but denied possessing child abuse imagery and has described the accusations as 'sick lies.'
The Duchess of Sussex has said she is 'deeply distressed' by the allegations engulfing her father.
Prince Harry's wife first learnt of the accusations when she was sent a letter via London's Metropolitan Police in 2019.
The explosive note, allegedly sent by Roslyn Loveless – Markle's late first wife – claimed he had admitted travelling to the Far East to have sex with young girls.
Loveless reportedly wrote: 'I questioned Thomas Sr. He denied the accusation but stated that he went to the Philippines and Thailand because 12-year-olds are legal there.'
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