US judge orders psychiatric exam for Meghan Markle's father after child abuse material arrest

A US judge in Tampa, Florida ordered a psychiatric examination for Thomas Markle, 82, following his arrest by FBI agents on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material. Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, appeared in court Friday where Judge Lindsay Griffin cited his "health condition," "advanced age," and "lack of recall" as grounds for the evaluation. A psychiatrist must report on his mental competency by November 20.

Prosecutors allege Markle kept explicit images of himself with prepubescent girls in two Los Angeles-area storage units rented for nearly two decades. Similar material was reportedly found at his former home in Cebu, Philippines, and a storage unit in Mexico. He was living in the Philippines until reportedly returning to the US this year.

Markle has been permitted house arrest with electronic monitoring. If convicted on the single count of possession of child pornography, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Meghan Markle stated last month she was "deeply distressed" by the accusations against her father.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/11/10/us-judge-orders-psychiatric-exam-for-meghan-markles-father/