Philippine police have reportedly apologized to Meghan Markle‘s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., for calling him a “person of interest” in the criminal investigation against his father, Thomas Markle Sr.
On Thursday, November 5, Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told reporters that “there are signs that point that the son is involved” in Thomas Sr., 82, allegedly storing child sex abuse material (CSAM) at his former Cebu home, per The Telegraph. (Thomas Sr. moved back to the U.S. from Cebu earlier this year after having a portion of his left leg amputated.)
Remulla, 59, claimed that “to accuse the father only is only half the police work” because police interviewed “witnesses who testified that underage girls were being brought to [Thomas Jr.’s] house, with ring lights, through the window.”
However, a law enforcement source told The Sun on Saturday, November 7, that senior officers from the Philippines National Police allegedly personally apologized to Thomas Jr., 60, over the phone after looking into the case. Investigators spoke with Thomas Jr.’s fiancée, Rose Ann Gabuya, who reportedly explained to officers that she invited female relatives to the home to film TikTok content.
Us has reached out to the Philippines National Police for comment.
Thomas Jr. originated the allegations that his father kept CSAM images in his Philippines home in October, having allegedly turned over evidence to local police. Thomas Sr. strongly denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
A separate investigation in the U.S. led to Thomas Sr. being arrested in Florida on Friday, November 6, after federal investigators allegedly discovered CSAM images at two Los Angeles-area storage units rented by Meghan’s father.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California formally charged Thomas Sr. with one count of possession of child pornography. He could face up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.
A judge ruled during a preliminary hearing at the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa on Friday that Thomas Sr. could be released on bond. He is required to comply with home detention and electronic monitoring at the Florida assisted living center where he resides.
“Working with our Justice Department partners, our agents moved quickly, identified and located the explicit material, and arrested Mr. Markle in Florida,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on Friday. “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. Thank you to FBI Los Angeles, FBI Tampa, our Mexico, Manila, and Marshall Islands Law Enforcement Attaches, and our partners who executed quickly in this case.”
When the allegations initially came to light in October, Thomas Sr. and his daughter, Samantha Markle, vehemently denied that the retired TV lighting director committed any wrongdoing.
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail at the time. “I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of. This is bulls***. It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.”
The Duchess of Sussex, 45, reacted to the bombshell allegations against Thomas Sr. by revealing that she’d been passed a letter containing “troubling and disturbing” allegations about her father by London’s Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018.
“[The letter] made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” Meghan said on October 23. “I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
The Met subsequently announced that it was probing what action was taken when its Fixated Threat Assessment Centre was originally tipped off to allegations about Thomas Sr.
“We are aware of media reports that officers from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command were involved in the passing on of a letter in 2018,” a Met spokesperson told multiple media outlets in a statement. “We are undertaking inquiries internally in an effort to confirm this.”
Following Thomas Sr.’s arrest in the U.S. on Friday, Thomas Jr. told The Sun that it was “a huge relief” to see his father facing criminal prosecution.
“I feel vindicated because I’ve been under a lot of pressure this past few weeks,” Thomas Jr. said.
“I was devastated to discover who my father really is and it has been an ordeal coming forward.”
He added, “I’ve spent hours and hours giving evidence to the police in the Philippines and providing detailed affidavits which have taken days. It has been incredibly stressful, but I’m pleased with the outcome. I’m just glad my father is being brought to justice.”
Thomas Sr. shares Meghan with his second wife, Doria Ragland. He welcomed his two older children — Samantha, 61, and Thomas Jr. — during his marriage to his first wife, Roslyn Loveless.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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