Philippine Authorities Confirm Discovery of Illicit Material in Probe into Meghan Markle’s Father
An investigation involving Meghan Markle's father has taken a new turn after Philippine police confirmed finding child abuse material.
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of child abuse that some readers may find distressing.
Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., is under investigation over child sexual abuse allegations. The claims were brought to the authorities by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., after he found incriminating materials in his home in Cebu where his father lived with him for over a year. Though Markle Sr. has denied any wrongdoing, Philippine police conducting the inquiry have made a significant discovery.
The findings emerged after Philippine authorities searched the property in Cebu City on October 29, following a court-approved warrant to examine the alleged evidence. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, November 3, Philippine National Police Acting Director, Major General Wilson C. Asueta, said the investigation was “going in the right direction” as officers continued examining the seized material.
Asueta confirmed that investigators had found child sexual abuse material among the items recovered from the property. Police are continuing to examine several electronic devices, including computers, mobile phones, and storage drives. The initial findings reportedly include a video depicting children of Asian and White backgrounds.
“We were able to find that there are files consisting of CSEAM [Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material],” the detective said, before continuing, “This will be subjected further to analysis. These are videos of a male and female minors, others who are not minors doing sexual activities and of course, explicit materials. We are conducting ongoing digital forensics analysis and our field investigators are also doing their best conducting investigations... to validate the information that was provided to us.”
Philippine authorities have not formally charged Markle Sr. as the investigation continues. Meanwhile, he has been moved to a new care facility in Florida, where he had been undergoing rehabilitation since May following the amputation of his lower left leg. According to reports, the 82-year-old was transferred on Friday, October 30, to a facility specializing in memory care for patients with conditions such as dementia.
The material was handed over to Philippine authorities by Markle Jr., who lives in Cebu and had been caring for his father. He alleged that he came across hundreds, potentially thousands, of images and videos involving minors while going through his father's belongings. Among the items he described was a photograph that showed Markle Sr. with an underage girl.
If you know of any children who are being subjected to abuse, please contact The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 422-4453.
