Thomas Markle Ordered Psychiatric Exam in Child Abuse Case

A federal judge in Florida has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, to determine if he is mentally fit to face prosecution. US Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin in Tampa issued a two-page order on Friday after Markle's initial court appearance, citing a lack of recall that raised questions about his competence.

Markle, 82, was arrested on Friday on a single federal count of possessing child sexual abuse material. The material included two explicit photographs of himself posed with a naked underage girl and other images of him with children in various stages of undress.

“Markle targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.”

According to an FBI affidavit, federal agents seized the material from storage units Markle had rented in Los Angeles since 2008. The cache included slides, film negatives, and books.

One of the photos showed a naked girl in a room that appears to be part of a motel chain in the Philippines, where Markle previously resided. The FBI also acted after the suspicious discovery of child sexual abuse material at Markle's home in Cebu, Philippines, where he lived for one year until last May.

Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle's mother, helped the FBI identify Thomas Markle in the photographs, according to People magazine. She was shown a series of blurred images depicting alleged sexual abuse of minors and identified the man as her ex-husband.

No plea was entered during Friday's hearing, and the judge permitted Markle to be released from custody on personal recognizance. He is subject to home detention and electronic monitoring at Maravida Senior Living in Lakeland, Florida.

FBI Director Kash Patel commented on Friday that Markle targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.