Meghan Markle’s Mother Reportedly Played a Key Role in the FBI Case Against Thomas Markle Sr

The Duchess of Sussex's estranged father is facing the most serious legal battle of his life. Prosecutors have signaled that a single possession charge may be only the beginning.

Meghan Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, has reportedly played a key role in helping federal investigators identify her ex-husband, Thomas Markle Sr., amid the ongoing investigation into his alleged possession of child sexual abuse material.

On Saturday, The Sun reported that the former social worker, 70, identified Thomas Sr. in redacted photos that allegedly show him touching two young naked girls. According to the outlet, the development came after she offered to assist US investigators with the case.

A federal complaint states that a witness who had known Thomas Sr. for decades identified him in two photographs. However, the publicly available complaint does not name that witness.

Authorities believe Thomas Sr., now 82, was in his 30s or 40s when the pictures, which were discovered in a rented storage unit, were taken. The finding suggests the alleged act may have occurred more than 40 years ago, years before Meghan was born.

Thomas Sr. was married to Doria from 1979 to 1987, and the pair welcomed Meghan in 1981. It's understood that the Duchess of Sussex is also prepared to assist the FBI in its investigation into her estranged father.

The photos Doria looked at were reportedly part of a trove of materials seized from storage units Thomas Sr. had rented in the Los Angeles area for almost 20 years. The Justice Department previously said he allegedly stored "sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls" there.

Investigators searched the units after a witness signed an affidavit claiming that Thomas Sr. kept suspected child sex abuse materials at his home in the Philippines and also rented a storage unit in L.A.

The 82-year-old was taken into custody on Friday, November 6, and charged with one count of possession of child pornography, the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said.

Thomas Sr. did not enter a plea when he appeared in court in Tampa, Florida, on Friday. He was then released on his own recognizance to Maravida Senior Living care home in Lakeland, the same facility where he had first been arrested.

However, The Sun has since reported that he was removed from the home and is now living at another assisted living facility nearby.

His arraignment will take place in California at a date yet to be announced. According to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Thomas Sr. "is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls."

"These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law," Essayli said in a statement. If convicted, Thomas Sr. could face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

Since investigators allege that he appears in the photos, Thomas Sr. could also face charges for producing and transporting them. According to lawyers, that could push his potential sentence to 70 years in total, virtually ensuring he would die behind bars.

"What's disturbing is we discovered he's actually in the images with the children, so it's not a matter of just possessing it — it looks like he was also producing it," Essayli said in another statement to The Sun.

"We move quickly. We had him arrested on a single count of possession, but I suspect when we present this to the grand jury, you'll see many more charges," he added.

When asked whether Thomas Sr. could spend the rest of his life in prison, Essayli replied, "It's very likely and very appropriate because when you look at the number of victims, it's multiple, and very young children."

The discovery in the California storage unit came weeks after The Sun reported in October that Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan's half-brother, had reported his father to authorities after allegedly finding "hundreds, if not thousands" of child sex abuse images among his belongings at his home in the Philippines.