Philippine police uncover alleged child abuse material in Thomas Markle investigation

Maj. Gen. Wilson Asueta, acting director of the PNP’s Investigation and Detective Management division, revealed that the material was discovered among files contained in four storage boxes said to belong to the 82-year-old.

The devices were handed over to authorities by Mr Markle Sr’s son, Thomas, and a warrant to examine them was granted last Thursday.

The discovery has triggered a multinational investigation, with Mexican authorities separately confirming a raid on a storage unit allegedly linked to Mr Markle Sr., and the FBI is also believed to be looking into the case.

Speaking at a press conference in Cebu on Tuesday, Maj Gen Asueta said: “We were able to find that there are files consisting of several CSEAM (Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act) materials.”

He added: “These are videos of a male and female minors, others are not minors doing sexual activities and of course, explicit materials.”

According to the Philippines National Police, initial analysis suggests the individuals captured in the footage appear to be foreign nationals, with no Filipino citizens identified so far. Whether the alleged abuse took place within the Philippines remains undetermined.

Investigators have yet to establish who created the recordings, who owned the devices, or whether Mr Markle Sr features in any of the alleged material.

The investigation extends beyond the Philippines. Mexican authorities have confirmed they carried out a raid on a storage facility that Mr Markle Sr was said to have had previously rented, as part of their own inquiry into suspected child sexual abuse material.

The FBI is additionally understood to be involved, following Scotland Yard’s belated decision to share a letter containing allegations against Mr Markle Sr.

The correspondence was sent to the Metropolitan Police in January 2019.

The force now faces scrutiny from the police complaints watchdog over its failure to act on the letter for several years.

The delay in passing on the allegations has raised serious questions about how the matter was initially handled by British authorities.

Maj Gen Asueta stated that the inquiry was “going in the right direction,” though he cautioned that additional analysis would be required before any decision on criminal charges could be reached.

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Mr Markle Sr relocated from Mexico to the Philippines in January 2025, before moving to Florida in May after having his lower leg amputated. He was transferred to a dementia care facility last Friday, which Samantha Markle confirmed to the Sun.

Spencer Kuvin, a Florida-based attorney known for representing victims of Jeffrey Epstein, told The Telegraph that extradition to the Philippines would be “highly unlikely,” noting that “someone with advanced mental illness could avoid not only extradition but also prosecution.”

Mr Markle Sr has acknowledged paying for sex in the Philippines but has firmly denied all allegations of child abuse, including possession of CSEA imagery, claiming the allegations were “sick lies” and he was “set up.”

He maintained he was “not well enough” to travel back to the country.