WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DETAILS OF GRAPHIC CONTENT.
Security agents were spotted patrolling the the Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, Florida, after Thomas Markle Sr. was released on bail following his child porn arrest.
In photos obtained by Page Six, a private security guard wearing a black shirt and a black ball cap stood watch on a well-lit porch at the facility Friday evening.
Another snapshot showed a guard walking the perimeter of the building wearing an all-black outfit, including a shirt reading “Security” on the back. In another image, a security guard stood near the entrance surveying the area.
Thomas Sr. has not been seen since he was released back to the dementia care facility at which he now resides.
However, large white law enforcement vans were seen leaving the courthouse in Tampa, Florida, following his appearance in court.
Markle was arrested by the FBI for possession of child porn earlier Friday.
During his court appearance, the prosecution and defense agreed to a bond hearing, which ultimately resulted in Markle’s release.
Federal Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin stated that Markle will need to undergo evaluation in order to determine whether he fully understands the charges against him.
While he is back in the care facility, Markle will have no contact with minors and will also be subject to electronic monitoring
Markle’s arrest came after FBI agents searched two storage units he had rented in the Los Angeles area. In the units, they discovered material suspected of containing child sexual abuse imagery.
The complaint, obtained by Page Six, alleges that Markle appears in two images alongside an underage girl.
Investigators conducted the searches of the storage units on Oct. 30 and Nov. 4
Meghan Markle’s estranged father lived in the Philippines until earlier this year when he moved back to America.
His relocation came in the wake of a stroke, which led to a blood clot and the amputation of his left leg below the knee.
Additionally, Thomas Sr. was moved into a “care home for dementia patients” after recently receiving a dementia diagnosis, according to the Sun.
Experts exclusively told Page Six that the diagnosis could potentially impact the trial, though it won’t necessarily get him off the hook.
As Page Six previously reported, Thomas Sr. was under investigation by the Cebu City Police Office in the Philippines after child sexual abuse material was allegedly discovered in his home and turned over to local police by his son, Thomas Markle Jr.
“When I found this material, I was horrified, and I had no option but to report my dad,” Thomas Jr. told the Sun, who was the first to report the news.
After the allegations made headlines, Thomas Sr. denied his son’s allegations and slammed them as “sick lies.”
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail. “I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.
“This is bulls–t. It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.”
Meghan previously reacted to the allegations against her father in the Philippines in a statement to Page Six, calling the claims “troubling and disturbing.”
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them,” the mother of two continued. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
A rep for the duchess and her husband, Prince Harry, told Page Six Friday that the couple had “no comment” on Thomas Sr.’s arrest by the FBI.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
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