Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Expresses Distress Over Allegations Against Her Father

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced on Friday that she is deeply distressed by child pornography allegations surrounding her father, Thomas Markle Sr. The statements follow reports that her brother, Thomas Markle Jr., contacted law enforcement and the FBI after allegedly finding child sexual abuse materials at their father's former residence in Cebu, Philippines.

In her public statement, Meghan revealed that she first learned of troubling claims regarding her father back in 2018. She explained that a letter outlining these concerns was sent to London's Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection unit, which subsequently shared the information with her and provided assurances of an ongoing investigation.

The duchess stated that this prior knowledge directly influenced her decision to keep her father away from her family. She has been estranged from him since her May 2018 marriage to Prince Harry, and her father has never met his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

"I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications' distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them," Meghan said in her statement. She added that while the recent revelations are horrifying, her primary hope is that justice is fully served and that innocent children remain protected.

The 82-year-old Thomas Markle Sr. strongly denied the accusations when contacted by media outlets on Friday. In comments to the Daily Mail, he dismissed the claims as false, stating he could never commit such acts and labeling the allegations as sick lies.

Meanwhile, Thomas Markle Jr. detailed to reporters that he uncovered hundreds or thousands of illicit images in boxes while cleaning out his father's property in the Philippines. He stated that he felt he had no choice other than to report the matter to authorities after previously supporting and caring for his father for years.

Philippine state media confirmed on Friday that an official investigation is underway. The Philippine News Agency reported that the Department of Justice's anti-trafficking task force is actively looking into the case involving an octogenarian American national.