Philippine police confirm child abuse images on seized devices of Meghan Markle's father

Police findings in Cebu

The Philippine National Police says preliminary forensic results identified multimedia files containing several kinds of child sexual abuse and exploitation material on devices seized from the former Cebu home of Thomas Markle Sr. General Wilson Asueta, of the police Directorate of Investigation and Detective Management, presented the findings at a press conference on Tuesday, 3 November. On Wednesday, 4 November, police said the investigation was still ongoing and that the content would be subjected to further analysis. Asueta said the recordings did not appear to have been made in the Philippines and that no Filipino or Cebuano had been identified among the people shown. The minors were described as being of Asian or Caucasian origin, of both sexes, and shown in sexual conduct with adults.

The items under analysis include at least nine mobile phones, three SD cards, five hard drives and a camera.

Ownership and charges remain open

Police have not determined who owns the phones and drives or who produced the files. Asueta could not yet confirm whether Thomas Markle Sr. appears in the recordings or whether the devices are registered in his name. Markle Sr., 82, denies possessing any such images and has not been charged. Police said charges for online child sexual abuse and exploitation would be filed if sufficient evidence is gathered. The FBI and other US agencies are collaborating on the case and conducting their own inquiries.

How the case came to light

Thomas Markle Jr., a half-brother of Meghan Markle, reportedly found the images while searching boxes his father had left behind. He told The Sun on 23 October that he had found hundreds, if not thousands, of images. He then handed three memory cards and a mobile phone to Philippine police, who opened an investigation. The Sun also reported that one phone held a video of about 15 minutes showing young girls, and that Markle Jr. later found more disturbing material. According to El Mundo, the boxes were in four containers his father left in Cebu, where he had lived until May.

Mexico search and move to dementia care

Mexican authorities acted in parallel. Baja California prosecutors received an anonymous report on Monday, 2 November, and on Tuesday, 3 November, authorities searched a storage unit in Rosarito that Markle Sr. had rented. The unit's owner told authorities Markle had stopped paying rent in 2024 but had never collected his belongings. Investigators seized magazines from Asia dating back roughly twenty years, along with computer equipment.

Markle Sr., 82, had spent months in rehabilitation after part of his left leg was amputated, and NOS reports he has been recovering from a stroke. On Friday, 30 October, he entered a specialist dementia care facility in Florida, a move his daughter Samantha Markle described as a safety measure, according to The Sun. Reports say the move could create legal obstacles to an FBI interview, since questioning him inside the facility may be limited.

Meghan Markle and the Metropolitan Police letter

Meghan Markle has said she was deeply upset by the accusations and that her thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed. She has said she was told years ago, in a letter passed on through the Metropolitan Police, of disturbing claims about her father, and that she has had no contact with him since 2018. The Metropolitan Police admitted it had never shared the details of that letter with other police forces, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened an investigation into the force. Markle Sr. has previously admitted paying for sexual services in the Philippines, but he firmly denies possessing child abuse images and rejects his son's allegations as lies. Meghan has said she hopes people now understand why she has had no contact with her father.