WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DETAILS OF GRAPHIC CONTENT.
Philippine authorities have released a major update in their investigation into Thomas Markle Sr.’s alleged possession of child pornography – days after he was reported to local police and the FBI by his own son, who claimed to have found the vile materials in the 82-year-old’s Cebu City home.
In the first official news conference since news of Thomas Markle Jr.’s alleged discovery broke, local police said they were actively working with law enforcement in the United States, but said they were not yet in communication with British authorities.
“The investigation is moving in the right direction,” Pmgen Wilson Casueta, acting director of the Philippine National Police, told reporters Tuesday.
“If there is enough evidence, (then) we will press charges.”
Casueta revealed that a video discovered during the investigation showed children, both men and women, of Asian and Caucasian origin, but was keen to emphasize that there were no Filipinos.
The officer also revealed that the FBI and other US law enforcement authorities were conducting their own investigations – but were also working in partnership with local authorities.
He also suggested that London police had not been in contact with Philippine authorities.
“Well, only the FBI and the US authorities contacted our Center for the Protection of Women and Children,” he said.
Authorities could not comment on reports from Agence France-Presse that Mexican authorities raided a warehouse rented by Markle while he was living in a beach town in the country.
Markle, who lived in Rosarito from 2016 to 2025, reportedly stopped paying rent on the unit in 2024 — but kept her belongings inside.
So-called “Asian magazines” from 20 years ago and computer equipment were found, but authorities have not released further details.
As Page Six previously reported, Thomas Markle Jr. allegedly found “hundreds, if not thousands” of images of child sexual abuse in the Cebu home where his father had previously lived.
The 60-year-old reported his father to authorities and went public with his disturbing findings, saying he found videos of victims “no older” than 10 or 11 years old involved in “sex acts” and “old books that turned out to be filled with naked little girls.”
Thomas Sr., however, vehemently denied the accusations and called his son’s claims “bullshit.”
“It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s crazy. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies,” he told the Daily Mail.
Thomas Sr.’s daughter Samantha, 61, Meghan Markle’s half-sister, supported her father and accused her brother of seeking “revenge” with his allegations.
However, days later, another set of shocking allegations were made against Thomas Sr. by a Daily Mail reporter, who claimed to have discovered more “vile” materials in an abandoned storage unit rented by the former lighting director in Mexico.
The unit, located just three miles from Thomas Sr.’s former home in Rosarito Beach, contained numerous pornographic books and magazines, as well as photos appearing to show underage girls.
The outlet reported that magazines depicting child pornography published in Asia were allegedly discovered along with random images of children on a beach. The publication said it also reported Thomas Sr. to the FBI.
Hours after this story was published, local authorities were seen raiding the storage unit, but have yet to provide an update on their findings.
Page Six later confirmed that authorities had obtained a warrant in the Philippines to search Thomas’ digital devices.
The Department of Justice’s Regional Prosecutor’s Office VII (Central Visayas, Philippines) told us that “appropriate legal action may be taken” if there is “sufficient evidence to identify any person who may be held responsible.”
Jonvic Remulla, the Philippines’ Minister of the Interior, also issued a statement to the Guardian shortly after Thomas Jr.’s claims were made public, suggesting that Thomas Sr. may well be a “sex offender of the highest order”, based on initial evidence found by local authorities at his home.
“In these cases where family conflicts are mixed, we have to consider all angles,” Remulla said. “Right now, all signs point to this being a possible sex offender of the crudest type. We want to be sure before we release the findings.”
In a statement shared with Page Six following the initial discovery of her half-brother, Meghan said she was “deeply distressed” by the news about her father.
She also revealed that she received a letter in 2018 containing similar “disturbing and disturbing” allegations against her father, which she said contributed to their separation.
Since the news broke, the actress and her husband, Prince Harry, have fled the United Kingdom with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to an unknown destination.
As for Thomas Sr., he was reportedly transferred to a “dementia care facility” on Friday as part of the investigation.
The 82-year-old was photographed in a wheelchair being pushed by caregivers in Lakeland, Florida.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
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