Duchess's Half-Brother Now in Child Abuse Probe
Philippine officials say Thomas Markle Jr. is a person of interest after investigators uncovered over 7,000 images at his father's home.
By Luana Sato ·
More than 7,000 photos and one video have been recovered in the Philippines, according to government officials. The images, which include footage of children as young as 10 and 11, form the core of a new inquiry into Thomas Markle Sr.
Jonvic Remulla, the country's interior and local government secretary, announced on Wednesday in Manila that Thomas Markle Jr. has been designated a person of interest. Remulla stated that evidence suggests the 60-year-old son is involved in the crime, though he is not yet being treated as a formal suspect. The official noted that Markle Jr.'s alleged role is not directly linked to the digital files handed to police.
Markle Jr. originally brought the case to public attention by alerting local police and the FBI. He claimed to have found four storage boxes at his father's Philippine residence containing hundreds, if not thousands, of child sex abuse images. He remains in Cebu City while investigators determine his status. Remulla said the outcome of this determination will be known in the next few days.
The investigation also scrutinizes Thomas Markle Sr., 82, who is estranged from the Duchess of Sussex. The patriarch returned to the United States from the Philippines in May and has reportedly been placed in a dementia care home. He has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but denies possessing illegal imagery, suggesting he was set up. Remulla previously described the 82-year-old as a possible sex offender of the grossest kind.
Agents from the Philippine police and the FBI are examining whether Markle Sr. held illegal images during his time in the Philippines and Mexico. In Mexico, where he previously lived, other illegal images were reportedly found in one of his storage units. Markle Jr. was recently interviewed at his home in Cordova, Cebu, during an international multi-agency meeting held via Microsoft Teams. He provided a statement to an FBI agent based in Florida who specializes in child sex abuse cases.
The Duchess of Sussex responded to the initial publication of the claims by saying she was deeply distressed. She stated that she had been informed of disturbing allegations against her father in 2018. In response, she kept him from having contact with her children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, to protect them.
