Thomas Markle Jnr has broken his silence following the news of his father's arrest on Friday, saying he feels "vindicated".
Thomas Markle Snr was arrested and charged in the US over his alleged collection of child pornography and later appeared in court yesterday in Tampa, Florida, according to the United States Department of Justice. The 82-year-old was seen being wheeled out of his care home wearing handcuffs. Thomas Markle denies all of the allegations against him.
Son speaks out after arrest
His 60-year-old son, and half-brother of Meghan Markle, has now spoken out over his arrest after the FBI praised him for his involvement in getting his father arrested.
He told The Sun: "It's a huge relief, I feel vindicated because I've been under a lot of pressure this past few weeks. I was devastated to discover who my father really is and it has been an ordeal coming forward.
"I've spent hours and hours giving evidence to the police in the Philippines and providing detailed affidavits which have taken days. It has been incredibly stressful, but I'm pleased with the outcome. I'm just glad my father is being brought to justice."
Investigation details
The arrest comes one day after Thomas Markle Jr was named a 'person of interest' in the investigation. This came after Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla's revelation that investigators were said to be looking into Mr Markle Jr's possible involvement after they received information that minors were allegedly brought to his residence in Cebu.
The DILG chief then stressed that Thomas Markle Jnr is not yet considered a suspect, and authorities are validating the information.
He said: "We're determining if son is involved...," he said, adding, "There are signs that point to the son being involved in the crime as well, but only as a person of interest so far."
Mr Remulla previously said that Thomas Markle Snr is "a possible sex offender of the grossest kind".
Background and next steps
Shortly before his arrest, Mr Markle had relocated to the senior-living home, which specialises in dementia care and costs an estimated $3,900 per month.
The investigation into Mr Markle Sr was launched after his son claimed he had found a collection of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines, where he briefly lived and had his left leg partially amputated. Following this, a second hoard was reportedly discovered last week in a storage unit that Mr Markle is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a police raid.
Speaking after her father's arrest, a close friend of the Duchess of Sussex reportedly told The Sun: "It is her sincerest hope that a full and thorough investigation will now help deliver justice for the victims." Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018, the year that she married Prince Harry.
