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Federal prosecutors allege that Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, removed his ankle monitor while under house arrest in Florida. Markle, 82, was awaiting trial on charges of possessing child sexual abuse materials. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said he cut off the device early Tuesday morning (November 10) and was subsequently re-arrested, as reported by The National News Desk.
Markle was initially arrested last week after FBI agents searched storage units in Los Angeles, where they reportedly found 78 items, including film negatives and slides, containing child sexual abuse material. He was charged with one count of possessing indecent images of children, according to the DOJ. Markle has denied the allegations, calling them "sick lies."
Following his arrest, Markle was placed under house detention at a senior care facility in Florida and ordered to wear a location monitoring device. However, he allegedly cut off the ankle monitor at around 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday, leading to his re-arrest. The BBC reports that a federal magistrate judge in Tampa has ordered him jailed without bond.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated, "Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions. We are asking the court to revoke his release and detain him pending trial." Essayli also emphasized that the prosecution will continue to pursue the case to the fullest extent of the law.
The case remains under FBI investigation, and Markle's arraignment in Los Angeles federal court is expected in the coming weeks. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison, according to MyNewsLA.com.