Meghan Markle's Dad Reportedly Investigated Over Thousands of Suspected Child Sex Abuse Images in Philippines Home

Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle Sr., is reportedly under investigation in the Philippines after his son told police he found 'hundreds, if not thousands' of child sexual abuse images and videos in boxes of the 82-year-old's belongings in Cebu.

Thomas Markle Jr., 60, Meghan's half-brother, lodged a sworn statement with child protection officers in Cebu City and agreed to surrender the four cardboard boxes for forensic examination, The Sun reported. According to the paper, the Philippines' Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking appointed a task force led by a specialist women and children protection unit on Thursday, 22 October.

Philippine authorities have not publicly confirmed the investigation. No charges have been filed, and Markle Sr. has not been arrested or publicly addressed the allegations. His elder daughter, Samantha Markle, has called them lies.

How the Boxes Ended Up in Cebu

Markle Sr., a retired television lighting director, moved to Cebu in January 2025, with Thomas Jr., his carer since a 2022 stroke, living a few doors away.

After a blood clot led to the amputation of his left leg in December 2025, he was flown back to the US in May 2026, leaving four boxes of his possessions in storage.

What Thomas Jr. Says He Found

Thomas Jr. told The Sun he stumbled on the material while searching the boxes for a spare phone for his girlfriend's father, when a video of naked young girls began playing on an old LG handset. Another image appeared to have been taken in a room he recognised from his father's former home in Rosarito, Mexico.

On 10 July, he reported the discovery to the FBI's tip line, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Pennsylvania state police, as his father was then living in that state. He said he heard nothing back.

Weeks later, he went through the rest with a local IT technician. Among VHS tapes, nine mobile phones, and his father's Emmy Awards, he said he found three hard drives and several books, including an antique photography book, that he alleged contained nude images of children. On one drive, the files he flagged sat alongside Markle Sr.'s professional CV and a clip of Meghan's 2015 United Nations speech, the paper reported.

'When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad. I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years, but that stops now,' he said. 'I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him.'

FBI Reportedly in Contact With Cebu Investigators

The Sun reported that the FBI had acknowledged receiving Thomas Jr.'s affidavit and that one of its agents had requested contact details for the Cebu investigators.

'Thomas Markle Snr is a US citizen, he is currently living in the US and may be linked to alleged offences committed on US soil,' a source close to the case told the paper. Task force officers declined to comment.

Samantha Markle Calls the Claims 'Lies'

Samantha, 61, who has been supporting her father at a rehabilitation centre in the US, rejected the allegations in an interview with the Daily Mail on 22 October.

'There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever, and my brother is disgusting for making them up. He wants to destroy our dad. Shame on him,' she said.

She claimed her brother acted over money. 'My brother first came out with these lies a few weeks ago when the cash from my dad was cut off,' she said.

She added that the computers had been packed in Mexico, shipped to the Philippines, and kept out of her father's possession for two years. 'There is no proof my dad downloaded any images,' she said.

Thomas Jr. has not publicly responded to his sister's accusations.

A Family Estranged Since 2018

Meghan, 45, has not commented publicly on the allegations. She and her father have been estranged since May 2018, when it emerged that he had staged paparazzi photographs before her wedding to Prince Harry. He missed the ceremony after two heart attacks and has never met the couple's children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.

Until this week, Thomas Jr. had sided with his father against Meghan, attacking her in YouTube videos as recently as December 2025.

No timeline has been given for the forensic examination of the boxes.