Police in the Philippines have expanded their investigation into alleged child sexual abuse offenses to include Thomas Markle Jr., the half-brother of the Duchess of Sussex.
Juanito Victor Remulla, the Philippines' interior minister, announced that while Thomas Markle Jr. is currently considered a person of interest, he is not yet a suspect. "There are indications suggesting that the son may also be involved in the crime," Remulla stated during a press conference in Manila. "We have witnesses that underaged girls are brought to his house and we are following it up."
Thomas Markle Jr. had initially reported his father, Thomas Markle Sr., to police in the Philippines after discovering a collection of disturbing images among his father's possessions. Thomas Markle Sr., 82, who has since returned to the United States, has denied the allegations, calling them "sick lies."
During questioning by police, Thomas Markle Jr., 60, reportedly claimed that any underage girls seen at his house were involved in making TikTok videos. The investigation into Thomas Markle Sr. began last week when his son reported him to authorities in Cebu City.
The Duchess of Sussex has previously stated that she cut ties with her father in 2019 after receiving a letter that accused him of child abuse. The letter, reportedly sent by Thomas Markle Sr.'s first wife to the Metropolitan Police and subsequently shared with Meghan and Prince Harry, alleged that Thomas Markle Sr. had told her he visited the Far East because "12-year-olds are legal there."
Last week, a stash of alleged child abuse images was discovered by the Daily Mail inside a storage locker rented by Thomas Markle Sr. in Rosarito, Mexico. The FBI was alerted, leading to a raid by Mexican authorities on the locker. Police in the Philippines are also reportedly close to bringing formal charges against Thomas Markle Sr. after similar images were allegedly found at his apartment.
Thomas Markle Jr. claims his father told him around 2011 about two storage units filled with Meghan's former furniture and possessions from her university days, as well as memorabilia from his own career. He told The Sun that he has given the FBI the locations of two storage units in Los Angeles and expressed dread about what might be found there, given the discoveries in Mexico and the Philippines.