Meghan Markle's Father Thomas Investigated in Philippines Over Child Abuse Material Allegations

Thomas Markle Sr., 82, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, is under investigation in the Philippines by a child sex abuse task force following allegations that he possessed a substantial collection of child sex abuse material. The FBI has also been made aware of the claims and is reportedly considering its own probe.

The allegations surfaced when Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan's brother, claimed to have discovered child abuse images and videos on computers and phones belonging to their father, which were reportedly found in boxes left behind by Thomas Sr. when he moved from the Philippines to the U.S. earlier this year. The material is said to have been discovered at his former home in Cebu province.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stated that she was first made aware of "troubling and disturbing" allegations against her father by the Metropolitan Police in 2018. In a statement released following the recent news, she said she was "deeply distressed" and that her decision to keep her father from her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was "to protect them."

"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," Meghan stated. "I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families. Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children."

Thomas Sr. has vehemently denied the accusations, calling them "sick lies" fabricated by his son for financial gain. He 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***. It's just a bunch of lies. It's sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies."

When directly asked if he had downloaded pornography onto his computers, Thomas Sr. responded, "Never. Never. Never. I have never done that."

The Department of Justice in the Philippines has confirmed that its Anti-Trafficking and OSAEC task force is investigating the reports involving "an American national in his 80s." Meanwhile, an FBI agent has reportedly requested contact details of the investigators leading the case in the Philippines, given that Thomas Markle Sr. is a U.S. citizen potentially linked to offenses committed on U.S. soil.

Thomas Markle Jr. reportedly reported his findings to the American FBI and the U.S. Center for Abused and Exploited Children before taking the material to local police in Cebu. He claimed to have been looking for a phone for his fiancée when he discovered the alleged material in his father's boxes.

Thomas Sr. and Meghan have been estranged since 2018, the year she married Prince Harry. The estrangement intensified after Thomas Sr. was involved in staging paparazzi photographs ahead of the royal wedding, ultimately leading to his absence from the ceremony.