Meghan Markle's father was suspected of possessing child pornography. What is known
Philippine authorities have launched an investigation into 82-year-old Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, after reports of the discovery of child sexual abuse materials in his home. The man's son filed a statement with law enforcement agencies, and Megan herself admitted that she had learned about the disturbing accusations against her father back in 2018. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
What was found in Thomas Markle's house in the Philippines
The reason for the investigation was the statement of 60-year-old Thomas Markle Jr., the brother of the Duchess of Sussex. According to him, in his father's house in Cebu city in the Philippines, he found four large boxes with materials allegedly containing images of sexual abuse of children.
The man said that initially he was looking for an old mobile phone among his father's belongings. In one of the devices, he found a 15-minute video recording with underage girls, after which he decided to check the rest of the things.
According to Markle Jr., the boxes contained family videos, books, mobile phones, computer hard drives and memorabilia, including his father's television awards. He brought in a computer technician to study the contents of the drives.
Markle Jr. claims that the devices contained hundreds, and possibly thousands, of images of child sexual abuse, including materials involving minors. He also reported the discovery of photographs, one of which was allegedly taken in his father's former home in the Mexican city of Rosarito.
After the discovery, the man stated that he no longer intended to communicate with his father, whom he had previously cared for. He allowed the possibility of contact only if it was necessary to testify against him.
How the investigation against Meghan Markle's father began
According to The Sun, on July 10, 2026, Thomas Markle Jr. reported the alleged discovery to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) hotline, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Having received, according to him, no further explanations about the progress of the inspection, the man continued to study his father's belongings. He later contacted the Philippine Police and submitted a written statement about the discovered materials.
The Deputy Minister of Justice of the Philippines, Nicholas Tai, confirmed that the special unit for combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children on the Internet, operating in Cebu, is investigating.
According to the British newspaper, Markle Jr. agreed to hand over four boxes of discovered materials for forensic examination. Specialists will have to determine the origin of the files, their contents and the circumstances of their appearance on the devices.
The publication also reported that the FBI had received the man's statement and could launch its own investigation. As of October 23, there is no public information about the detention of Thomas Markle Sr. or the criminal charges against him. The investigation has not yet established the man's involvement in the storage of alleged illegal materials.
How Meghan Markle reacted to the accusations against her father
Meghan Markle publicly commented on the scandal on October 23. The Duchess of Sussex said that back in 2018 she received information about disturbing accusations against her father.
According to Meghan, then a letter was sent to the London police and the royal family protection unit with serious allegations about Thomas Markle. Subsequently, the contents of the document were brought to her attention, and law enforcement officials assured her that the circumstances were being investigated.
The Duchess also explained why she has not maintained a relationship with her father for several years and has not allowed him to communicate with his children, Archie and Lilibet.
According to her, she decided to distance herself from Markle for the sake of family safety. Megan expressed the hope that law enforcement agencies will establish all the circumstances of the incident and ensure the protection of possible victims.
At the same time, the contents of the letter sent to the British police in 2018 have not been publicly disclosed. There is no evidence yet that the charges outlined in it are directly related to the materials discovered in the Philippines in 2026.
What did Thomas Markle and his daughter Samantha say?
Thomas Markle Sr. himself denied the accusations. He called the allegations of possession of child sexual abuse materials a disgusting lie. The man also expressed shock and resentment that his own son had brought charges against him.
His eldest daughter Samantha Markle also came to his father's defense. She said that the accusations have no basis, and Thomas Jr. allegedly made up the story for the sake of money and is trying to destroy his father's reputation.
Samantha also admitted that the contents of the computer devices could have been changed by outsiders, since some of them had been out of Markle Sr.'s reach for a long time. She did not provide any evidence for this version.
Thus, the man's relatives hold opposite positions. The reliability of the discovered materials and the belonging of the devices will have to be established by law enforcement agencies.
Who is Thomas Markle and why doesn't he communicate with his daughter?
Thomas Markle was born on July 18, 1944 in the American state of Pennsylvania. He worked as a lighting designer and director of photography on television, including participating in the creation of the series "Main Hospital" and "Married with Children." The man has received several Emmy television awards for his professional work.
Markle was married twice. From his first wife, Roslyn Loveless, he had Samantha and Thomas Jr. In his second marriage to Doria Ragland, Megan was born in 1981.
Relations with her youngest daughter deteriorated sharply before her wedding to British Prince Harry in May 2018. Then it turned out that Markle participated in staged photo shoots for the paparazzi. Subsequently, he did not attend the ceremony, citing heart problems.
After the wedding, the man repeatedly gave interviews in which he criticized his daughter and her husband, and also complained about the lack of communication with his grandchildren. Megan herself accused her father of violating trust and passing on personal information to journalists.
In 2021, the Duchess won a court case against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, which published excerpts from her personal letter to her father.
In January 2025, Markle moved to the Philippines with his son, hoping to start a more peaceful life. In December of the same year, due to thrombosis and blood supply disorders, doctors amputated part of his left leg. Earlier, in 2022, he suffered a stroke.
In May 2026, the man returned to the United States to continue treatment and rehabilitation. Currently, 82-year-old Markle is in a specialized facility in Florida, where his daughter Samantha is helping him.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
