Philippine Justice Department Confirms Probe of Thomas Markle Sr. Over Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Materials
Key Takeaways
- •The Philippine Department of Justice confirmed that Thomas W. Markle, Sr. is under investigation by the Regional Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Task Force in Cebu over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials.
- •Markle's son reportedly alerted authorities after discovering images and videos depicting child sexual abuse among his father's belongings in the central Philippine province of Cebu.
- •The 82-year-old retired television lighting director has denied the allegations, describing them as 'sick lies,' according to British media reports cited by Reuters.
- •Possession of child sexual abuse materials is a criminal offense under Philippine law, but no finding of criminal liability against Markle has been established so far.
- •Markle became estranged from his daughter before her May 2018 wedding to Britain's Prince Harry and later relocated to the Philippines, where the materials at the center of the probe were allegedly found.
MANILA — The Philippine Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday confirmed that an investigation is underway into allegations that Thomas W. Markle, Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, possessed child sexual abuse materials.
"The DoJ confirms that the matter involving Thomas Markle Sr. is currently under investigation by the Regional Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Task Force in Cebu," Justice Spokesperson Raphael Niccolo L. Martinez told reporters in a Viber group chat.
The investigation follows allegations that Mr. Markle, 82, possessed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. His son reportedly alerted authorities after discovering the material among his father's belongings in Cebu, a province in the central Philippines.
Reuters earlier reported that Philippine authorities were investigating the allegations, with Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty saying that the department's anti-trafficking and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children task force in Cebu was handling the matter. Such inter-agency task forces coordinate the government's response to trafficking and the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Possession of child sexual abuse materials is a criminal offense under Philippine law.
Mr. Markle, Sr. has denied the allegations, describing them as "sick lies," according to British media reports cited by Reuters.
No finding of criminal liability against Mr. Markle, Sr. has been established so far. The department has not publicly indicated a timeline for the probe or what steps could follow its conclusion.
Background
Thomas Markle, Sr. is a retired American television lighting director whose decades-long career in Hollywood included Emmy-winning work. He became estranged from his daughter, the former Meghan Markle, in the period leading up to her May 2018 wedding to Britain's Prince Harry, which he did not attend after undergoing heart surgery. The couple stepped back from their roles as senior working members of the British royal family in 2020 and have since lived in California.
According to earlier media reports, Mr. Markle relocated to the Philippines, where the materials at the center of the current probe were allegedly found.
Source: BusinessWorld Online, reporting by Erika Mae P. Sinaking, Oct. 26, 2026. Original article: DoJ: Thomas Markle under probe over alleged child sexual abuse
