Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex, is under investigation by authorities in the Philippines after his son allegedly discovered hundreds of child sexual abuse images among storage boxes at his former home. The probe involves an inter-agency task force and US federal investigators.
The investigation centers on material allegedly left behind in four cardboard boxes at an abandoned residence in Cebu City, Philippines. Thomas Markle Sr., 82, left the Southeast Asian nation in May 2026 to return to the United States following a stroke and a blood clot that resulted in the amputation of his left leg (7NEWS). He is currently receiving care at a rehabilitation facility in Florida (Hindustan Times).
Thomas Markle Jr. Reports Discovered Material to Authorities
The discovery came to light after Thomas Markle Jr. returned to his father’s former property. While searching through belongings for a mobile phone, he stumbled upon a mobile phone that allegedly contained explicit material of children (Pagesix). He subsequently enlisted a computer technician to access several hard drives and other stored items (The Daily Beast). Thomas Jr., 60, told reporters that discovering the material made him sick to the stomach and that he felt betrayed, angry, and disgusted by what he saw. He added that some of the files were found sitting on the same hard drive as his father’s professional CV, which listed his three Emmy awards and an old Hollywood address, alongside a downloaded clip of Meghan’s 2015 speech to the United Nations.
When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad.
Thomas Markle Jr., via The Sun
The younger Markle contacted multiple agencies, including the FBI hotline, Pennsylvania state police, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on July 10, 2026 (Pagesix). Thomas Jr. also stated that he had supported, cared for, and helped his father for years, but declared that support has stopped permanently.
FBI and Cebu Investigators Coordinate on Case
Investigators in Cebu are preparing to formally seize the items (Pagesix). Meanwhile, federal agents in the United States have acknowledged receiving the affidavit submitted by Thomas Jr., with an FBI agent having already requested the contact details of the investigators leading the case in the Philippines (Hindustan Times). No formal criminal charges have been filed against Thomas Markle Sr., and the allegations remain unproven (Marie Claire).
Samantha Markle Disputes Allegations Against Their Father
Family members have offered sharply conflicting responses to the public disclosures. Samantha Markle, 60, strongly defended her father while speaking to media outlets, stating that there was no merit to the claims and asserting that her brother made them up after financial support from their father was cut off (Us Weekly).
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.
Samantha Markle, via Daily Mail
Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to comment on the matter (Ynetnews). However, a source close to Meghan told reporters that the new revelations shed light on the ongoing estrangement between the Duchess and her father, which began prior to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry (Hindustan Times). Thomas Markle Sr. has never met Prince Harry or the couple’s children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.
The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged father is being investigated by police for the possession of child abuse images, it has been reported.Thomas Markle Sr, who lives in the Philippines, is alleged to have an extensive collection of illegal images that were discovered by the… pic.twitter.com/KfidNem1C1