Thomas Markle Sr. is being investigated in the Philippines over allegations he possessed a large “stash” of child sexual abuse images and videos.
Markle Sr., who is the estranged father of Meghan Markle, called the claims “sick” and said they are lies.
Philippine Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty confirmed to Reuters on Friday, Oct. 23, that a task force specializing in human trafficking and online child exploitation is investigating the case.
Markle Sr. rejected the allegations in comments to the Daily Mail, calling them “sick lies.”
The claims were first reported Thursday by British tabloid The Sun, which said Markle Sr.’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., alerted authorities.
The younger Markle told the newspaper he discovered “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sexual abuse images in four boxes at his father’s former home in the Philippine city of Cebu. He told police he found the images and videos while looking through family mementos.
The newspaper described the images as “sickening” and published a picture it said showed Markle Jr. signing a sworn statement submitted to police. He said he called an FBI hotline in July, contacted the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, and state police in Pennsylvania where his father was living.
“I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him,” he told the outlet.
Philippine Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla told Reuters Markle’s son provided police with a laptop and other evidence. Remulla said Markle Sr. returned to the U.S. after living in Cebu.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, addressed the reports in a statement to People.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” she said.
She said a letter containing allegations against her father was sent to London authorities in 2018, who then shared it with her.
“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” she continued.
She added, “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.”
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