Thomas Markle Faces Probe After Alleged Child Abuse Images Found Abroad
WHO:
TMZ - An FBI official told TMZ the bureau was aware of the allegations and would provide support to Philippine officials investigating Thomas Markle Sr.
US Magazine - Samantha Markle called the claims “lies,” according to the outlet’s headline.
IJR - Thomas Markle Sr. denied the allegations, according to the outlet’s headline.
Page Six - Thomas Markle Sr. said he was dating nurse Rio Canedo, who was 46 at the time, and described finding “joy and happiness again.”
Page Six - Samantha Markle told the Daily Mail, “There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever and my brother is disgusting for making them up. He wants to destroy our dad. Shame on him.”
Page Six - Thomas Markle Sr. shares Thomas Jr. and Samantha Markle with his late ex-wife, Roslyn Loveless, and shares Meghan with his second wife, Doria Ragland.
Page Six - Prince Harry has not met Thomas Markle Sr.
NY Post - Thomas Markle Sr., Meghan Markle’s father, is the subject of reported investigations into alleged child sexual abuse material.
NY Post - Thomas Markle Jr., Thomas Sr.’s son, reported finding the material and contacted authorities.
Page Six - Thomas Jr. is 60; Thomas Sr. is 82. Samantha Markle, Thomas Sr.’s daughter, defended her father and said her brother “wants revenge.”
Page Six - An insider close to Meghan told The Sun, “Now maybe people will finally understand why she has had nothing to do with her father since 2018.”
Page Six - Reps for Meghan and Prince Harry did not respond to Page Six’s requests for comment. Thomas Sr. and Thomas Jr. also did not immediately respond.
WHAT:
IJR - The allegations had not been independently confirmed.
NY Post - Meghan Markle said the allegations explained why she cut ties with her father eight years earlier and that she did so to protect her family.
Page Six - Thomas Markle Sr. said Philippine medical care was “wonderful” and referred to young trainee nurses as “munchkins.”
Page Six - Thomas Markle Sr. said of the age gap with Rio Canedo, “Haters will hate,” and added, “Life is for living.”
Page Six - Thomas Jr. said his support and care for his father “stops now.”
Page Six - A source said an FBI agent had requested contact details for the investigators leading the case in the Philippines. The source said Thomas Sr. is a U.S. citizen and may be linked to alleged offenses committed on U.S. soil.
Page Six - Thomas Markle Jr. reportedly found nine mobile phones, old VHS family home movies, Emmy Awards, and books among the stored items.
Page Six - The alleged material reportedly included a developed film negative depicting two “naked schoolgirls” and images hidden in an antique book titled *Lewis Carroll Photographs Of Children: Four Nude Studies*.
Page Six - A hard drive reportedly contained Thomas Markle Sr.’s résumé alongside a download of Meghan Markle at a United Nations women’s event.
Page Six - Legal sources in Cebu City said Thomas Jr. agreed to hand over the boxes for detailed forensic examination with a legal team acting on the investigators’ task force’s instructions.
NY Post - Thomas Jr. reportedly found “hundreds, if not thousands” of child sexual abuse images in storage boxes at his father’s home.
Page Six - Thomas Jr. reportedly found a 15-minute video, three illicit photos, and additional alleged material on phones, hard drives, books, and film. The Sun reported that some alleged victims were no older than 10 or 11.
Page Six - Thomas Jr. said, “When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad.” He also said, “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
Page Six - Authorities in Cebu were reportedly preparing to seize evidence; a task force overseen by the Women and Children’s Protection Centre was appointed. The FBI reportedly confirmed receiving Thomas Jr.’s affidavit.
WHERE:
Page Six - Thomas Markle Sr. and Thomas Markle Jr. moved to Cebu in January 2025.
Page Six - Thomas Markle Sr. met Rio Canedo while recovering from leg-amputation surgery in the Philippines.
Page Six - Thomas Sr. was reportedly dating his nurse, Rio Canedo, before the investigation.
Page Six - Thomas Sr. reportedly left the Philippines for the United States in May after a stroke, blood clot, and amputation of his left leg.
Page Six - One alleged image reportedly showed Thomas Sr.’s former residence in Rosarito, Mexico.
NY Post - The alleged material was found at Thomas Sr.’s home in Cebu, Philippines.
Page Six - Thomas Jr. reportedly contacted the FBI, Pennsylvania state police, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Page Six - Thomas Sr. was reportedly living in the United States and housed in a Florida nursing and rehabilitation facility.
WHEN:
NY Post - Meghan Markle’s remarks referred to her estrangement from her father in 2018.
Page Six - Thomas Sr. and Doria Ragland split in 1987.
NY Post - Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail in January 2025 that he planned to leave Mexico for the Philippines.
Page Six - Thomas Jr. reportedly reported the discovery on July 10 and submitted a sworn statement to Philippine authorities on Thursday.
WHY:
NY Post - Thomas Sr. said he wanted a “fresh start” somewhere “peaceful,” away from “awful drama.”
Page Six - Thomas Jr. said he reported his father because he believed the material was highly illegal.
HOW:
Page Six - A technician reportedly helped inspect three hard drives; after more alleged material appeared, Thomas Jr. described seeing rows of thumbnail images on a desktop.
Page Six - Thomas Jr. said he found an abandoned LG phone while looking for a phone for his girlfriend’s father, then enlisted help to inspect three hard drives and move four cardboard boxes.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 19:07 UTC)
Philippine authorities are investigating Thomas Markle Sr. over allegations that child sexual abuse material was found among stored belongings at his home in Cebu. His son, Thomas Markle Jr., reportedly discovered the material and contacted authorities, saying he was horrified and believed he had to report it. Investigators are preparing for forensic examinations, and an FBI official said the bureau is aware of the allegations and will support Philippine officials. The claims have not been independently confirmed, and Markle Sr. has denied them. His daughter, Samantha Markle, also rejected the allegations and accused her brother of making them up, while Markle Jr. said he would no longer support or care for his father. Meghan Markle has said the allegations help explain why she cut ties with her father, whom she has been estranged from since 2018. Markle Sr. is reportedly dating a nurse he met while recovering in the Philippines.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 16:15 UTC)
Authorities in the Philippines are investigating Thomas Markle Sr. over allegations that child sexual abuse material was found among his belongings in Cebu. His son, Thomas Markle Jr., said he discovered the material in storage boxes and on electronic devices, then reported it to authorities, saying he was horrified and believed it was highly illegal. Philippine investigators are reportedly preparing forensic examinations of the items, and the FBI has confirmed receiving his affidavit. Thomas Sr. has denied the allegations, while his daughter Samantha called them lies and accused her brother of wanting to destroy their father. Thomas Jr. said his support for his father ends now. Meghan Markle said the allegations explain why she cut ties with her father in 2018 to protect her family. Thomas Sr. is now in a Florida nursing and rehabilitation facility.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 11:03 UTC)
Authorities in the Philippines are investigating allegations that 82-year-old Thomas Markle Sr. possessed child sexual abuse material, after his son Thomas Jr. reported finding it in storage boxes at his father’s Cebu home. Thomas Jr. said he was horrified and had no choice but to alert authorities; he reportedly contacted the FBI and other agencies. Investigators are preparing to seize evidence, and Thomas Jr. agreed to hand over the boxes for forensic examination. The FBI confirmed receiving his affidavit, while a source said an agent sought contact details for Philippine investigators. Thomas Sr.’s daughter, Samantha, denied the allegations and accused her brother of making them up to hurt their father. Thomas Jr. said his support for his father ends now. Thomas Sr., who has since moved to a Florida care facility, recently said he was dating nurse Rio Canedo, whom he met while recovering in the Philippines.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 10:05 UTC)
Investigators in the Philippines are examining allegations that Thomas Markle Sr., Meghan Markle’s father, possessed child sexual abuse material found by his son, Thomas Markle Jr. Thomas Jr. says he discovered the material in boxes and on electronic devices at his father’s home in Cebu, then contacted authorities because he believed it was illegal. He reportedly turned over the items for forensic examination and submitted a sworn statement to Philippine authorities. The FBI has confirmed receiving his affidavit, and a task force overseen by the Women and Children’s Protection Centre is involved. Thomas Jr. says his support for his father ends now and that he will not speak to him unless called to testify. His sister, Samantha Markle, defended their father and accused Thomas Jr. of wanting revenge. Meghan and Prince Harry have not commented; Harry has never met Thomas Sr.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 07:24 UTC)
Authorities in the Philippines are investigating allegations that Thomas Markle Sr., Meghan Markle’s father, possessed child sexual abuse material. His son, Thomas Markle Jr., says he found the material in boxes at his father’s home in Cebu and reported it to authorities. He described finding phones, hard drives, books and film, including images he believed were illegal. Philippine authorities reportedly appointed a task force and are preparing a detailed forensic examination of the boxes, which Thomas Jr. agreed to hand over. The FBI has confirmed receiving his sworn statement, and he also contacted Pennsylvania state police and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Thomas Jr. said he was horrified and would not speak to his father again unless called to give evidence. His sister, Samantha Markle, defended their father and accused Thomas Jr. of wanting revenge. Meghan and Prince Harry’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 02:15 UTC)
Authorities are investigating allegations that Thomas Markle Sr., Meghan Markle’s father, possessed child sexual abuse material found at his home in Cebu, the Philippines. His son, Thomas Markle Jr., says he discovered the material while looking for a phone for his girlfriend’s father, then got help examining three hard drives and four boxes. He reportedly found a video, photos and other alleged material, and said some images involved children as young as 10 or 11. Markle Jr. said he was horrified and felt he had to report his father. He contacted the FBI, Pennsylvania state police and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and submitted a sworn statement to Philippine authorities. The FBI reportedly confirmed receiving his affidavit, while authorities in Cebu prepared to seize evidence. His sister, Samantha Markle, defended their father and accused her brother of seeking revenge.