Thomas Markle Sr is under investigation following allegations of possession of child sexual exploitation material reportedly found in his former residences in Mexico and the Philippines. The claims surfaced in mid-2025 after Thomas Markle Jr, the 60-year-old half-brother of Meghan Markle, reported discovering “hundreds” of illicit images and videos among his father’s belongings.
According to Thomas Jr, the materials included four large boxes containing images and a 15-minute video depicting young girls, some estimated to be under 11 years old, in explicit situations. He stated that one photo showed a laptop surrounded by a recognizable room from their father’s previous home in Mexico. The discovery reportedly occurred during the summer while searching for a mobile phone for his girlfriend. Following the discovery, Thomas Jr contacted authorities including the FBI Hotline, the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, and Pennsylvania state police, as his father had been living in Pennsylvania.
Filipino police have since initiated an investigation and are preparing to seize the alleged material from the storage facility in Cebu city. A source close to Meghan Markle suggested that the allegations might explain the longstanding estrangement between her and her father since 2018.
However, the claims have been strongly denied by Samantha Markle, Thomas Sr’s 61-year-old daughter from his first marriage, who is also his primary caregiver. Samantha accused her brother of fabricating the allegations to generate media attention and financial gain, referring to the claims as “disgusting” and without merit. She maintained that the computers containing the alleged images were packed up in Mexico, placed in storage in the Philippines, and were inaccessible to their father for two years. Samantha suggested that others could have tampered with the devices and stressed their father’s deteriorating health, noting he has severe physical and cognitive impairments. She characterized Thomas Jr as having a longstanding pattern of making false claims to exploit their father financially, citing a previous unsubstantiated allegation from several years ago.
Thomas Markle Sr has faced numerous health challenges in recent years, including multiple heart attacks, a stroke, and the amputation of his left leg below the knee last December. He moved with Thomas Jr from Mexico to the Philippines early this year but returned to the United States for medical treatment, including fitting for a prosthetic leg and heart procedures.
The family dynamics are further complicated by the limited contact Meghan Markle has had with her father in recent years. Thomas Sr has reportedly never met his grandchildren, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, and the relationship between him and Meghan has been distant since her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry.
No official statements have been released by Meghan Markle or representatives of the Sussex family regarding the investigation or the allegations. The authorities are continuing to examine the evidence gathered as part of the ongoing inquiry.