Authorities in the Philippines are conducting a forensic analysis of digital images allegedly belonging to Thomas Markle Sr, the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex, following a report from his half-brother that he discovered child sexual abuse material at a former residence in Cebu. According to The Guardian, Philippine interior minister Jonvic Remulla stated that preliminary findings suggest Markle Sr may be a "possible sex offender of the grossest kind," though he emphasised that a complete forensic investigation would provide a definitive conclusion. Markle Sr has denied the allegations, calling them "sick lies."
Thomas Markle Jr reported to Philippine authorities last week that he had discovered what he described as a stash of child sexual abuse images at the Cebu property where his father had been residing until returning to the United States earlier in 2026. Police inspected the home and located what they characterised as a "trove of child pornography materials" alongside a laptop. Philippine police said they will coordinate with law-enforcement counterparts in the United States and United Kingdom to share information during the investigation, with any potential case depending on the evidence uncovered.
Remulla told The Guardian that investigators needed time to complete their work before drawing conclusions. He stated:
In these cases where family disputes are mixed up, we have to consider all the angles. Right now all signs point to a possible sex offender of the grossest kind. We want to be sure before we release the findings. The forensics data will be complete in a week.He added that a formal statement would be issued once the analysis was finished, saying:
Please give us a week to determine the contents and to come up with a definitive picture. We will release a statement then.
In a statement to Agence France-Presse, Remulla confirmed that
The PNP will coordinate with their counterparts to locate and take appropriate legal actions against Mr Markle if found that there is sufficient evidence to charge him.Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said the Cebu task force investigating the allegations is part of the Department of Justice's Anti-Trafficking and Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children effort.
Markle Sr responded to the allegations by telling the Daily Mail that the accusations were unfounded. He stated:
I'm shocked, I'm hurt and I'm very upset that my son is making these accusations against me. I could never do what I'm being accused of. It's the worst thing anyone could accuse me of. This is bullshit. It's just a bunch of lies. It's sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.He claimed that computers found at the property had not been in his possession since he departed Mexico with his son in 2025 and relocated for a fresh start.
What did Meghan know and when?
The Duchess of Sussex released a statement on Friday expressing distress at the developments and reaffirming that her decision to distance herself from her father and prevent him from contacting her children, Prince Archie (seven) and Princess Lilibet (five), was motivated by a desire to protect them. She stated:
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.
Meghan disclosed that in 2018, a letter containing troubling allegations against her father had been sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection, and that she had subsequently been made aware of its contents. She said:
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:
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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.
The Duchess added:
Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.
Meghan later clarified that she had misremembered the year, confirming that the Metropolitan Police had contacted her in 2019 rather than 2018. A spokesperson for the Duchess explained:
In recalling events from more than seven years ago, without the benefit of a diary entry or contemporaneous record, it is understandable that she may have been mistaken by a few months. If the MPS holds a time-stamped record confirming that the letter was reviewed in 2019, that should be treated as the accurate reference point for when it was received and shared with the duchess.
What did the Metropolitan Police do?
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they had received a letter in January 2019 containing allegations about Markle Sr and his conduct outside the United Kingdom. The force stated that the letter had been reviewed and subsequently passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness, but the details were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said:
Following a thorough review of Met police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom. It was sent to the MPS (Metropolitan police service) Protection Command to raise concerns in relation to the security of the Duchess of Sussex. The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
The Metropolitan Police announced that it is reviewing how it handled the matter in 2019 and considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to examine its approach. The spokesperson added:
The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach.
Sources indicated that although Meghan had been informed of the allegations in 2019, she had been unable to speak publicly about them to avoid compromising any potential investigation and because doing so could have exposed her to legal action.
What did Thomas Markle Jr report?
Thomas Markle Jr reportedly told The Sun he found the suspected material among belongings in four boxes and said he contacted the FBI hotline, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Pennsylvania state police on July 10. The Sun reported that Markle Jr, 60, described discovering what he characterised as "hundreds, if not thousands" of child sexual abuse images on computers and mobile phones stored in the four large boxes at the Cebu residence.
What happens next?
Philippine authorities said the laptop's forensic results were expected in about one week, after which police said they would consider appropriate legal action if evidence supports a charge. Remulla indicated that a formal statement detailing the findings would be released once the analysis was complete, though he did not specify an exact date for the announcement.
