Meghan Markle's father jailed in Florida after cutting off monitoring device, prosecutors say

Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was jailed Tuesday in Florida after federal prosecutors alleged that he cut off his location monitoring device earlier in the day.   

Markle, 82, who is facing charges for possessing child sexual abuse material, had previously been permitted to remain out of custody pending trial, as long as he abided by certain conditions.

"He allegedly cut the bracelet off at 1:45 a.m. last night," Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said in a post on X earlier Tuesday.

"Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions," Essayli said. "We are asking the court to revoke his release and detain him pending trial, and we will continue to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law."

According to The Associated Press, Markle was taken into custody and appeared in federal court in Tampa after authorities learned he had cut off the device.

Essayli told the AP he didn't know why the ankle device was removed. It also wasn't clear where it occurred.

Markle was previously released on personal recognizance and was ordered to submit to home detention and electronic monitoring. Markle is also not permitted to travel outside the Middle District of Florida and the Central District of California.

Psychiatric exam ordered

Separately, a U.S. judge ordered a psychiatric examination for Markle after his arrest for alleged possession of images of child sexual abuse.

Markle has been charged with one count of "possession of child pornography" and he made an initial court appearance in Tampa, Florida, on Friday.

Judge Lindsay Griffin cited his "health condition," "advanced age" and "lack of recall" in the order for a psychiatric evaluation issued on Friday, without providing further details.

Markle was taken into custody by FBI agents earlier that day at the retirement home where he has been living in Lakeland, Florida.

The Justice Department said he allegedly "kept child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls, in two Los Angeles-area storage units he rented for nearly two decades."

"These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law," Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement.

Pictures of child sexual abuse were also allegedly found at Markle's former home in the Philippines, according to authorities in the country, and at a storage unit he rented in Mexico.

Griffin said she found "reasonable cause to believe" that Markle was suffering from a condition "rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense."

She instructed a psychiatrist to provide a report on Markle's mental state by Nov. 20.

Markle had been living in Cebu in the Philippines until reportedly returning to the United States this year.

Meghan, who is married to Britain's Prince Harry, said last month that she was "deeply distressed" by accusations that her father possessed images of child sexual abuse. A spokesman for the royal couple confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday that the duchess was "happy to cooperate with the FBI's investigation, indeed any law enforcement agency seeking justice for the victims."

Markle could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Investigations in the Philippines, U.S. and Mexico 

Last month, it was reported that Markle was under investigation by authorities in the Philippines for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. Markle has denied the claims against him, calling them "sick lies."

"I have never downloaded anything like that in my life," he was quoted as telling the Daily Mail.

A spokesperson for the Philippine National Police told CBS News in a statement that they launched an investigation after Markle's personal items were turned over to law enforcement by his son, Thomas Markle Jr.

Markle Jr. told the Sun tabloid last month that he reported the images to police in the Philippines and contacted the FBI.

"I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now," Markle Jr. told The Sun. "I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him."

The Daily Mail reported that it alerted the FBI of a cache of child porn found inside a storage unit Markle Sr. had rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico.

The Baja California State Attorney General's Office in Mexico confirmed to CBS News that a search was conducted on Oct. 29 after a report via the 911 emergency line.

"During the operation, three old magazines and VHS tapes containing child pornography were discovered," the office said in its statement. "The evidence and the associated case files were referred to the Attorney General's Office (FGR), which will handle the follow-up to the case."