Meghan Markle’s father Thomas Markle Sr is reportedly under investigation in the Philippines after his son claimed to have discovered hundreds or thousands of images depicting child sexual abuse among his belongings, a foreign media outlet has reported.
According to reports, Thomas Markle Jr found the material in storage boxes and on hard drives at his father’s home in Cebu. He handed a sworn statement to Philippine authorities on Thursday and agreed to turn over the items for forensic examination.
“Now maybe people will finally understand why she has had nothing to do with her father since 2018,” an insider close to the Duchess of Sussex told the foreign media outlet.
Thomas Jr said that he was horrified by what he found and felt he had no choice but to report his father. “When I found this material, I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad.”
He added that he would no longer support or care for his father, saying, “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
According to reports, Thomas Jr initially reported the discovery to the FBI hotline, Pennsylvania state police and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children on July 10. He reportedly contacted the authorities after finding material on an abandoned mobile phone while searching for a device for his girlfriend’s father.
The report said that the items included a video and photographs allegedly depicting girls aged around 10 or 11, as well as additional material found on three hard drives. Thomas Jr also reportedly enlisted a technician to help examine the devices.
Authorities in the Philippines are preparing to seize the material for further examination. The outlet also said that the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking had appointed a task force overseen by the Women and Children’s Protection Centre.
The FBI reportedly confirmed receipt of Thomas Jr’s affidavit, while a source told the outlet that an agent had requested contact details for investigators in the Philippines. A United States (US) investigation may also follow, the report added.
Thomas Sr, 82, is a US citizen who reportedly left the Philippines for the US in May after suffering a stroke and undergoing an amputation of his left leg. He is currently staying at a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Florida.
His daughter Samantha Markle has defended him against the allegations, claiming her brother “wants revenge”.
Thomas Sr has been estranged from Meghan since 2018, the year she married Prince Harry.
