Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's father arrested for child abuse material

The 82-year-old estranged father of , was arrested Friday morning at a senior care facility in Florida on a charge of keeping child sexual abuse material in storage units in California, authorities said.

Agents searched two units rented by Thomas Markle Sr. and "seized approximately 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books" that contained suspected child sexual abuse images, said First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli in Los Angeles.

Some images appear to depict him with children, according to an FBI affidavit filed in court.

"These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law," Essayli said in a written statement.

Markle was arrested in Polk County and appeared Friday in federal court in Tampa.

His arrest followed reports by The Sun, a British tabloid newspaper, that Meghan's half brother found a collection of child sexual abuse images while clearing out their father's home in the Philippines.

That discovery led to information about the US storage units in the Los Angeles area, which Markle has rented since 2008.