A US federal judge has ordered a psychiatric assessment of Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Britain’s Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial over allegations involving child sexual abuse material.
US Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin issued the order in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, citing concerns raised during the 82-year-old’s initial court appearance, including his apparent inability to recall certain details.
Markle was arrested on Friday and charged with one federal count of possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, the alleged material included two explicit photographs showing Markle posing with a naked underage girl, as well as other images of children in various stages of undress.
One photograph reportedly showed a naked girl in a room believed to be part of a motel chain in the Philippines, where Markle had previously lived.
An FBI affidavit filed alongside the criminal complaint stated that federal agents seized the material from storage units Markle had rented in Los Angeles since 2008.
The collection allegedly included slides, film negatives and books.
FBI Director Kash Patel commented on the case on Friday, accusing Markle of targeting children through his alleged criminal actions.
Markle was most recently living in Lakeland, Florida, where the Daily Mail reported that he had been staying in a nursing home.
No plea was entered during his court appearance. However, Griffin allowed him to be released on personal recognisance, subject to home detention and electronic monitoring.
In her subsequent order, the judge said there was reasonable cause to believe Markle might have a mental condition affecting his ability to understand the nature and consequences of the criminal proceedings or properly assist in his own defence.
Griffin said her concerns were based on information about his health, his advanced age and his apparent lack of recall during the hearing.
The court appointed forensic psychiatrist Dr Amie Gerodimos to conduct an independent assessment, provide a diagnosis and determine whether Markle is mentally competent to stand trial.
Gerodimos has been given until Nov 20 to submit her findings to the court.
Markle’s court-appointed federal public defender, Mary Claire Wolf, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
