Thomas Markle Sr, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has denied allegations that he possessed child abuse material, calling them "sick lies", as Philippine authorities launch an investigation.
The claims were made by his son, Thomas Markle Jr, who said he discovered the images in storage boxes when his father moved out of a property in Cebu, the Philippines, and reported the matter to police earlier this year.
Minister's Early Assessment
Jonvic Remulla, the Philippine interior minister, said authorities would consider "all the angles" but revealed his early impression. He told the Guardian: "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."
Remulla's comments came as it was alleged that a letter sent to the Metropolitan Police in 2019 contained similar claims.
Denial and Admissions
While Markle Sr has denied ever abusing any children aged under 18, the former Hollywood lighting director admitted to paying for sex with prostitutes while he lived in the Philippines.
Thomas Jr, who said he packed four boxes of material to take to investigators, insisted his dad is "still in denial". It is thought that, among the inventory were surrendered computers, DVDs, mobile phones, books, pictures, data cards, film negatives and video tapes, The Sun claimed. The inventory is said to include around 80 separate item listings, among them computer files and document evidence, which has been signed over to police.
Family Estrangement
Both Mr Markle Jr and his sister, the Duchess of Sussex, have ended contact with their father, with his royal daughter reportedly ceasing contact with her father last year.
Sources close to the duchess said Meghan had warned Markle Sr in a letter that he would never meet his two grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet. The letter was sent to her dad as he recovered in a Philippine hospital after having his leg amputated.
The duchess, who has been estranged from her father since 2018, is said to have been told by UK police about claims of abuse against him in 2019. She has since said, via a statement issued by her husband, Prince Harry, that she was left "deeply distressed" by the allegations against her father. She said last week: "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. 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."
It is understood that the Metropolitan Police is not currently investigating Markle Sr, and has not done so in the past.
