Thomas Wayne Markle, 82, of Lakeland, made his initial appearance in federal court in Tampa on Friday, charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Markle is the father of Meghan Markle, and the case has drawn national attention since his arrest.
According to federal officials, the FBI began investigating in October after a witness reported that Markle rented storage units in California that might contain illegal material. Agents seized roughly 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books. Prosecutors say the 35mm negatives were registered to Markle and appeared to contain child pornography, and that the material includes photographs depicting Markle himself with minor girls. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
This is a local story as much as a celebrity one: an 82-year-old Lakeland man facing a serious federal charge in a Tampa courtroom. We’ll continue following the case as it moves through the federal system. What questions do you have about how this case will proceed?
