Allegations involving child sexual abuse images have placed Meghan Markle’s estranged father at the centre of an investigation, pitting her account of long-standing concern against his categorical denial.

Philippine officials have confirmed that authorities are examining the matter. Nicholas Ty, an undersecretary at the Department of Justice, told the BBC that it is “currently being investigated” by a Cebu task force focused on human trafficking and child sexual exploitation.¹ The country’s interior minister also said police had secured a computer for digital forensic examination, according to the broadcaster.¹

The claims were first reported after Thomas Markle Jr said he found alleged abuse images among belongings at his father’s former home in Cebu. He told The Sun that he was “horrified” by the material and had “no option but to report my dad.”² His account has been reported alongside assertions that he contacted authorities in the Philippines and the United States.

Meghan Markle has not addressed the substance of her half-brother’s claims directly, but said she had been told of allegations concerning her father in 2018. In a statement, she said the information had led her to maintain distance and prevent him from seeing her children “for one reason: to protect them.”³ She said she had been assured the allegations were being investigated and hoped the priority would remain the protection of children.³

Thomas Markle Sr, who is based in the US, has denied possessing any such images. He told the Daily Mail, as reported by the Guardian: “I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.”³

The competing accounts share one immediate point: the allegations remain unproven. Meghan frames them as context for a family rupture, while her father calls them false and investigators work to establish what evidence, if any, supports the claims.