Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has been jailed without bond in Florida after allegedly removing his electronic tracking tag while under house arrest.
According to US Department of Justice officials, the incident occurred at an assisted living facility in Florida where Markle had been ordered to remain following his arrest last week. A DoJ spokesperson stated that Markle allegedly cut off his ankle monitor at approximately 01:45 local time. He subsequently appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Tampa and was remanded to federal custody.
Markle's recent detention follows his initial arrest on charges related to allegedly possessing and keeping child sexual abuse material in California storage units. He has previously denied those allegations.
The development comes as Meghan and Prince Harry make public appearances overseas. Meghan has previously addressed her estrangement from her father, stating that she cut off contact and does not allow him to interact with her children.
