The Duchess of Sussex says she was “given assurances” the allegations were being investigated when they were first brought to her attention in 2018

Meghan Markle has kept her distance from her estranged father for years, due in no small part to claims he possessed images of child sexual abuse, for which Thomas Markle Sr. is currently being investigated. In a statement shared with the Guardian, the Duchess of Sussex describes the allegations, which were first brought to her attention in 2018, as “troubling and disturbing.”

Markle said she was “given assurances” at the time that these claims were being investigated after a letter sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection detailing the allegations was shared with her. The claims have surged into public conversation this week after Thomas Markle Jr., son of Markle Sr., reported discovering an accumulation of inappropriate images at his father’s home in the Philippines. Markle Jr. reportedly told detectives he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sexual abuse images where Markle Sr. was living.

Per the Telegraph, “police in the Philippines are reportedly preparing to seize the evidence, and the FBI is said to be looking into opening an investigation in the U.S.”

“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” Markle said. “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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”

Markle Sr. responded to the allegations via the Daily Mail, saying, “I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me. I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of … This is bullshit. It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.” He claimed he has had no access to the computers on which the alleged images were discovered since January 2025.

According to BBC, the undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice confirmed the allegations are currently being investigated by a task force specifically devoted to anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. The investigation will extend to a digital forensic examination, the outlet reports, following the confiscation of a computer belonging to Markle Sr.

“Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children,” Markle said.