Meghan Markle's Father Investigated For Alleged Stash of Child Abuse Material

Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is reportedly under investigation after his son alleged he discovered child sexual abuse material among belongings at a property in Cebu, the Philippines.

Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan's half-brother, said he found four large boxes while searching through his father's stored possessions. He alleged they contained 'hundreds, if not thousands' of images, alongside family photographs, old mobile phones, hard drives, VHS tapes, books, professional documents and Emmy awards. He said he reported the discovery to US authorities and later submitted a sworn statement in the Philippines.

The reported investigation has not established the allegations as fact. No public forensic findings have established the nature or extent of the alleged material, and no charges have been announced.

What Thomas Markle Jr. Says He Found

Markle Jr. told The Sun, which first reported the allegations, that he discovered the material among his father's belongings at the Cebu property. He described the discovery as horrifying and said he felt compelled to contact authorities.

'When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad,' he said.

According to the report, he initially discovered suspected material on a mobile phone while searching for a handset among his father's possessions. He later examined more of the boxes' contents with help from a local IT technician.

He said he reported the initial discovery to the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Pennsylvania state police on 10 July 2026. He later submitted a sworn statement to Philippine authorities and said he would not speak to his father again unless required to give evidence against him.

The alleged quantity and contents of the material have not been independently verified in publicly released findings.

Philippine Authorities and the FBI

Investigators from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking reportedly appointed a task force run by the Women and Children's Protection Centre to examine the claims. Markle Jr. reportedly agreed to surrender the four boxes for forensic examination. Officers from the task force declined to comment.

The FBI reportedly confirmed receipt of the contents of Markle Jr.'s affidavit. That acknowledgement does not establish that the allegations have been verified or that the FBI has opened an investigation.

No charges have been announced. The report carried no response from Markle Sr. or his daughter Samantha, who reportedly supports him in the United States.

Meghan Markle's Estrangement From Her Father

Markle Sr., 82, is a retired television lighting director. He and his second wife, Doria Ragland, are Meghan's parents. He has two children from his first marriage to Roslyn Loveless: Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha Markle, Meghan's half-siblings.

Meghan and her father became estranged around her marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018. Markle Sr. admitted arranging staged paparazzi photographs before the wedding and did not attend the ceremony. He has since discussed the family breakdown in numerous media interviews.news.com

His health has also been the subject of public reporting. He suffered a stroke in 2022 and underwent a left leg amputation below the knee in December 2025. Meghan's spokesperson subsequently confirmed that a letter from her had reached him while he was receiving hospital treatment in the Philippines.

According to subsequent reporting, Markle Sr. returned to the United States in May 2026 and was receiving care at a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Florida. Whether the boxes have since been seized or examined, and whether investigators have reached any findings, remains unconfirmed in the reporting reviewed for this article.