Meghan Markle's estranged father under investigation in Philippines over alleged child abuse images

Summary

Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is under investigation in the Philippines over alleged possession of child sexual abuse material, according to several outlets. Hindustan Times reports that his son, Thomas Markle Jr., allegedly handed suspected material found in a Philippines home to authorities, and the Sydney Morning Herald reports that Markle Jr. says he reported his father to police for allegedly possessing child abuse images. South China Morning Post reports that Nicholas Ty, the Philippine justice undersecretary, said on Friday that the Anti-Trafficking and Anti-OSAEC task force in Cebu is investigating the matter, and that Markle Sr. could not be immediately reached for comment. CBS News reports that the probe concerns alleged possession of child sexual abuse material and that Meghan is deeply distressed, and NDTV reports that authorities are probing content allegedly found at his Philippines home. These are allegations, and the reporting does not establish that they are true.

Timeline

1. Hindustan Times

   23 Oct 2026, 01:31 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that Thomas Markle Sr. is under investigation after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., allegedly handed suspected child sexual abuse material found in a Philippines home to authorities.

2. Sydney Morning Herald

   23 Oct 2026, 02:14 UTCSource ↗

   The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Thomas Markle Jr. says he reported his father to police for allegedly possessing child abuse images.

3. CBS News

   23 Oct 2026, 11:55 UTCSource ↗

   CBS News reports that Thomas Markle is facing a probe in the Philippines over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials, and its headline says Meghan is deeply distressed.

4. NDTV

   23 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTCSource ↗

   NDTV reports that authorities are probing Thomas Markle Sr. over alleged child sex abuse content found in his Philippines home.

5. South China Morning Post

   23 Oct 2026, 14:41 UTCSource ↗

   South China Morning Post reports that Philippine justice undersecretary Nicholas Ty said on Friday that authorities are investigating Thomas Markle after allegations he possessed child sexual abuse images, and that Markle could not be immediately reached for comment.