Police apologise to Markle’s son after naming him ‘person of interest’
Police apologise to Markle’s son after naming him ‘person of interest’
Telegraph reportersSat, November 7, 2026 at 12:58 PM UTC
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Police initially thought underage girls were being brought to Thomas Markle Jr’s house in the Philippines - The Mega Agency
Police in the Philippines have apologised to Thomas Markle’s son after he was named as a “person of interest” in the child abuse investigation into his father, according to reports.
Juanito Victor Remulla, the Philippines’s interior secretary, this week said that the investigation into the Duchess of Sussex’s father’s alleged stash of child abuse images had been extended to include his son, Thomas Markle Jr.
He suggested that the police had received information about underage girls being taken to Mr Markle Jr’s home in Cordova in the Philippines, telling a press conference in Manila: “We had witnesses who testified that underage girls were being brought to his house, with ring lights, through the windows.”
Officers in Cordova interviewed Rose Ann Gabuya, Thomas Markle Jr’s fiancée, and his wider circle, who reportedly resolved the matter, it emerged on Saturday.
A source close to the case told The Sun: “The matter has been cleared up, officers were very apologetic.”
Thomas Markle Sr, who was arrested on Friday, has been living at a care home in Florida - GRHO
Mr Markle Jr had reported his father to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month, after he allegedly found illegal images among his father’s belongings in Cebu City.
On Friday, Mr Markle Sr was arrested by the FBI at a care home for dementia patients in Florida, and charged with possession of child abuse images.
However, as of Saturday night he appears to no longer be residing at the home.
The 82-year-old had been expected to return to the facility on Friday under house arrest but there was no sign of Mr Markle Sr.
On Friday, he appeared in court for a bond hearing. Lindsay Griffin, a federal magistrate judge, ruled that he should be kept under house arrest at the dementia care home around 30 minutes’ drive from Tampa, where he had been living since his return from the Philippines last year.
But on Saturday afternoon, Mark Phillips, the boyfriend of Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha, apparently picked up Mr Markle Sr’s belongings.
Mark Phillips, the boyfriend of Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha, appears to pick up Mr Markle Sr’s belongings on Saturday - Nevill Elder
He packed a pair of crutches and two black bin liners into his car before driving off.
Before leaving, he shouted at the press: “You can follow me if you want, but I’m going to the bar.”
Travel restrictions were also imposed by the judge on Mr Markle Sr, who did not enter a plea at the hearing in Tampa, Florida.
He was also ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam, amid concerns he may not be able to understand the proceedings or properly assist his lawyer.
A future court appearance in California is not due for at least several weeks, according to the US justice department.
FBI agents had seized a haul of material from two Los Angeles storage units rented by Mr Markle Sr. He is charged with one count of possession of child abuse images.
Mr Markle Jr told The Sun newspaper he had also instructed the authorities about the LA storage facilities.
Suspected child abuse material
Acting on warrants, the FBI searched the units registered to Mr Markle Sr, which he had rented since 2008, with his most recent payments on both made last month by automatic payment.
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Inside, agents seized about 78 items, including slides, film negatives and books that contained suspected child sex abuse material.
Two of the images allegedly depict an adult man – whom a witness “positively identified” as Mr Markle – with a nude young girl.
In one of them, according to court documents, the man “appears to be in the age range of 30s to 40s”, which suggests the alleged abuse dates back decades, given Mr Markle is now 82.
A third image is said to show a nude young girl in a room that appears to be part of a motel chain in the Philippines. Other photographs allegedly show Mr Markle with children in various stages of undress.
If convicted, Mr Markle would face at least 20 years in federal prison.
Mr Markle Sr with the Duchess of Sussex when she was a child
Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney, said: “Mr Markle is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material, including photographs depicting himself with minor girls.
“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr Markle to the fullest extent of federal law.”
Kash Patel, the FBI director, said: “Mr Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.
“Working with our Justice Department partners, our agents moved quickly, identified and located the explicit material, and arrested Mr Markle in Florida.
“This FBI will use every single resource at our disposal to protect innocent kids – any predator who targets children will have zero safe haven in this country or anywhere they try to hide.”
Duchess ‘deeply distressed’
Patrick Grandy, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said: “This case highlights the importance of the involvement of the public, even if it’s a family member or close friend, to be vigilant and speak up if they have information on individuals they suspect may be preying on and exploiting our children.”
Mr Markle Sr has admitted paying for sex in the Philippines but has denied ever possessing child abuse imagery.
The Duchess of Sussex, who moved back to the UK with the Duke of Sussex in August, said she was “deeply distressed” about the allegations against her father, from whom she has been estranged since 2018.
She revealed she was sent a letter via the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2019 that made “troubling and disturbing allegations” about her father, but she was given assurances these were being investigated.
The Duchess of Sussex has been estranged from her father since 2018 - SplashNews.com
The Met has admitted it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies. The Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog is investigating the force’s conduct.
The Duchess had wanted to “speak out” immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.
When Mr Markle Sr, a former TV lighting director, had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for the Duchess to contact him.
The Duchess is said to have written him a final letter in which she said she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
