Meghan Markle's father under investigation for possessing child pornography
What's the story
Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., is reportedly under investigation for possessing child pornography. The shocking discovery was made by his son, Thomas Jr., who found the illicit material at their father's home in Cebu, Philippines, reported The Sun. The 82-year-old allegedly had "hundreds, if not thousands" of child pornographic images stored in four large boxes.
Investigation initiated
Thomas Jr. discovered videos of minors on father's old phone
Thomas Jr., 60, discovered videos of girls aged between 10 and 11 engaging in sexual acts on his father's old cellphone.
He also found three photos of naked girls, one of which was reportedly taken at their father's former home in Rosarito, Mexico.
The shocked son has since reported his father to the police and the FBI Hotline.
He told the outlet, "When I found this material, I was horrified, and I had no option but to report my dad."
Emotional turmoil
'I felt betrayed, angry, and disgusted'
Thomas Jr. has been caring for his father, who has been suffering from health issues, including a stroke in 2022.
However, he now says, "I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him."
"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."
"I felt betrayed, angry, and disgusted, and realized I had to report him."
Ongoing probes
'An FBI agent has already requested the contact details...'
The FBI has reportedly confirmed receipt of Thomas Jr.'s affidavit and will be launching its own investigation.
A source close to the case told the outlet, "An FBI agent has already requested the contact details of investigators leading the case in the Philippines."
Meanwhile, local authorities are preparing to seize the alleged evidence from Cebu.
Family feud
Markle and Thomas Sr. haven't spoken since 2018
Markle has been estranged from her father since just before her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
Thomas Sr. was supposed to walk Markle down the aisle but didn't end up attending after a scandal involving staged paparazzi photos and alleged health issues.
King Charles (then Prince of Wales) walked Markle halfway down the aisle instead.
The father-daughter duo hasn't spoken since then.