Meghan Markle‘s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., is reportedly being investigated for allegedly possessing child sex abuse material (CSAM) images after being turned in by his son, Thomas Jr.
Thomas Jr., 60, told The Sun on Thursday, October 22, that he was “horrified and I had no option but to report” his father after allegedly discovering the illegal images at Thomas Sr.’s home in the Philippines. There is no indication that Thomas Sr. has been arrested in either the Philippines or in the U.S., where he now resides.
Father and son moved to Cebu Island in January 2025 before coming back to the U.S. earlier this year.
Prior to his move in May, Thomas Sr. had his left leg amputated in December 2025 due to a blood clot. Thomas Jr. had reportedly acted as his father’s primary caregiver since he suffered a stroke in 2022. (Thomas Sr. is reportedly now living in a nursing home in Florida.)
Thomas Jr. allegedly found “hundreds, if not thousands” of CSAM images while searching through his father’s belongings in the Philippines, per The Sun.
He purportedly went to local police and contacted the FBI with his accusations. Thomas Jr. is now in the process of handing over relevant evidence to Filipino authorities, according to various reports.
“I have supported, cared for [my dad] and helped him for years — but that stops now,” Thomas Jr. told the outlet. “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
Thomas Sr. has yet to address the allegations. Us has reached out to Thomas Jr. for comment.
Thomas Sr. has been estranged from his daughter Meghan, 45, and her husband Prince Harry since 2018 — and he has never met their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. (Meghan’s mother is Thomas Sr.’s second wife, Doria Ragland. The former couple divorced in 1987.)
While Meghan reportedly had a rocky relationship with Thomas Jr. throughout her life, they hit a significant roadblock in the run-up to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal wedding when the former TV lighting director was accused of staging paparazzi photos.
“H and I called my dad. I said, ‘They’re saying you’re taking money from the tabloids to stage photos. Is this true?’ He says, ‘No,’” Meghan alleged in a 2022 episode of Netflix’s docuseries Harry and Meghan. “And on that call, I’d said to him, ‘Look. If they can’t stop this story, then it’s going to come out tomorrow, so why don’t we send someone right now to your house to get you out of there now because if that’s the case, your house will be swarmed by media. We’ll get you out.’”
The Duchess continued, “He said, ‘No. I have things I need to do.’ And it felt really cagey. I was like, ‘It doesn’t make sense.’ And when we hung up, I looked at H. I was like, ‘I don’t know why, but I don’t believe him.'”
Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, subsequently admitted to U.K. talk show Loose Women that she was “entirely the culprit” who set up her father’s photo opp to help him appear in a positive light.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in May 2018, Thomas Sr. admitted that he lied to Prince Harry, 42, in a heated photo call about the staged photos.
“Harry told me that I should never go to the press. That it would end in tears. He said, ‘They will eat you alive.’ He was right,” Thomas Sr. admitted.
Thomas Sr. ultimately missed the royal wedding on May 19, 2018, because he was recovering from two heart attacks.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
