Meghan Markle ‘distressed’ as Philippines probes father over child sexual abuse images

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, expressed her "deep distress" over allegations that child sexual abuse images were found at her estranged father's former home. The claims surfaced after British tabloid The Sun reported on her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr.'s discovery of the images while cleaning his father's property in the Philippines.

Markle, 45, conveyed her concern in a statement to The Associated Press, stating, "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." She also addressed a letter to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Royal and Specialist Protection unit, mentioning a previous 2018 letter alleging disturbing claims against her father.

Meghan revealed that she had not maintained a relationship with her father to safeguard her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, both aged 7 and 5, respectively. She emphasized that her decision was solely to protect them from potential harm. The Sun alleged that Thomas Markle Jr., 60, had found "hundreds, if not thousands" of alleged child sex abuse images in boxes at his father's home, which he reported to both local police in the Philippines and FBI investigators in the U.S. Thomas Markle Sr., 82, denied the allegations in a statement to the Daily Mail, expressing shock, hurt, and upset, adding that he would never engage in such actions.