Meghan Markle’s estranged father is being investigated after his own son allegedly discovered a huge stash of child sexual abuse material among his belongings and reported him to police.
Thomas Markle Snr, 82, is alleged to have left the material in four large cardboard boxes at his former home in Cebu City in the Philippines.
His son Thomas Markle Jnr told police that he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of images and videos while searching through his father’s possessions, according to The Sun.
The discovery has triggered a police investigation in the Philippines, with specialist investigators preparing to seize the boxes for forensic examination.
It was reported that that the FBI had also confirmed it received Thomas Jnr’s sworn statement and could launch its own investigation.
“When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad,” the 60-year-old told The Sun after submitting his statement to investigators.
“I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now.
“I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
According to The Sun, Thomas Jnr stumbled across the material while searching for a mobile phone for his Filipino girlfriend’s father among his father’s belongings.
He alleged disturbing material appeared on an abandoned LG phone, prompting him to investigate further.
Thomas Jnr, who had cared for his father after a life-threatening stroke in 2022, told a friend that the discovery had left him a “shaking wreck”.
“What I saw made me sick to the stomach — all this stuff was just dumped on me and I didn’t know what to do,” he said.
“I knew right away it was highly illegal and would land me in jail for a long time if I didn’t get rid of it.
“I felt betrayed, angry and disgusted — and realised I had to report him.”
It was reported that Thomas Jnr contacted the FBI Hotline, the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Pennsylvania police on July 10.
But after receiving no follow-up inquiries for a number of weeks, he decided to check the remaining contents of the boxes.
He retrieved the four large cardboard boxes from storage and enlisted an IT specialist to help access three computer hard drives.
Among the belongings were family home movies, books, nine mobile phones and the Emmy Awards Thomas Snr won during his television career.
Thomas Jnr alleged further material was found in books and on the computer drives, including files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
He said the computer’s desktop contained rows of thumbnail images linking to the material.
The Sun reports that some files were stored alongside Thomas Snr’s professional documents, including his CV, and a download of Meghan speaking at a United Nations women’s event.
According to the newspaper, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking appointed a task force led by the specialist Women and Children’s Protection Centre on Thursday.
Cebu City legal sources said that Thomas Jnr had agreed to surrender the four boxes for detailed forensic examination.
He was due to hand over the material with lawyers present and sign documents consenting to the examination.
A source close to the case said that an FBI agent had already requested contact details for investigators in the Philippines.
“Thomas Markle Snr is a US citizen, he is currently living in the US and may be linked to alleged offences committed on US soil,” the source said.
“There is a strong precedent for cases in circumstances like this to be investigated by the FBI.”
Thomas Snr is living at a nursing and rehabilitation centre in Florida, where he is being supported by his 60-year-old daughter Samantha.
He was forced to leave his home in the Philippines in May after suffering a stroke and a blood clot that led to the amputation of his left leg.
The allegations mark a dramatic rupture between father and son, who had remained in contact for years despite Thomas Snr’s bitter estrangement from Meghan.
Thomas Jnr had previously supported his father’s public pleas to reconcile with the Duchess of Sussex and had himself criticised his half-sister on social media.
Meghan, 45, has had no contact with her father since 2018 when Thomas Snr missed her wedding to Prince Harry after claiming he had suffered a heart attack shortly before the ceremony.
Thomas Snr has never met Harry.
Samantha and Thomas Jnr are the children of Thomas Snr’s first marriage to Roslyn Loveless, which ended in 1975.
Meghan was born during his second marriage to Doria Ragland, which ended in 1987.
A source close to Meghan said: “Now maybe people will finally understand why she has had nothing to do with her father since 2018.”
The allegations against Thomas Snr have not been proven.