Philippine police granted warrant to examine Thomas Markle's devices

Summarised from 6 outlets · 7 reports · Updated 29 Oct, 14:06 · Archive

Philippine police have obtained a court warrant to examine digital devices seized from the former home of Thomas Markle, father of the Duchess of Sussex, following allegations of child sexual abuse material.

Philippine police have obtained a court warrant to examine digital devices and other material seized from Thomas Markle's former home in Cebu. The material, which includes computers, phones, hard drives and old videotapes, was handed to police by his son, Thomas Markle Jr, last week.

Thomas Markle Jr claimed he discovered child sexual abuse images while searching through his father's belongings in July. According to reports, he found material on digital devices and in physical form, allegedly containing images of children. He reported his findings to both local police in Cebu and the American FBI.

Thomas Markle Sr, 82, is now in the United States, where he is in a rehabilitation centre in Florida following a stroke that resulted in the amputation of his left leg. He has strongly denied all allegations, describing his son's claims as 'sick lies' and stating he has never been in photographs as described by his son.

Cebu Regional Prosecutor Graeme Elmido told the BBC that Thomas Markle Jr was 'adamant' the case should be investigated, believing his father 'has to answer for it'. Markle Sr has admitted to paying for sex in the southeast Asian country but denies possessing any collection of child abuse material.

The US has an extradition treaty with the Philippines. According to reports, if Markle Sr were charged and found guilty of accessing child abuse images, he could face between 10 and 12 years imprisonment. The Duchess of Sussex confirmed last week that she had been made aware of the allegations and was deeply distressed by them. She and her father have been estranged since 2018.

How it is being reported

• Thomas Markle’s digital devices to be examined amid child porn probe: reportNews broke last week that Meghan Markle's dad is under investigation in the Philippines for "hundreds, if not thousands" of child porn images.New York Post · 29 Oct, 14:23
• The tabloids that used Thomas Markle to attack Meghan should now reflect. I bet they won’t | Zoe WillliamsThe Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday plundered Meghan’s estranged father for clicks. But soul searching or remorse would be institutionally impossible As the allegations mount against Thomas Markle Sr, his daughter, the Duchess of Sussex, has released a statement describing her deep distress, and saying her priority is the protection of children. Is this the point at which Thomas Markle will cease to be an acceptable source for the Sussex character attacks that have become a tabloid staple? The Daily Mail and its sister paper, the Mail on Sunday, have been utterly brazen in their cultivation of…The Guardian · 29 Oct, 14:06
• Police ‘granted warrant to examine Thomas Markle’s devices’ over alleged child sex abuse imagesThe Duchess of Sussex said last week that she had been made aware of ‘disturbing allegations’ against her father, who denies all the allegationsThe Independent · 29 Oct, 13:55
• Thomas Markle's digital devices to be examined by Philippine police after court grants search warrant over alleged child sex abuse imagesThe father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is the centre of an international probe after Thomas Markle Jr claimed to have found evidence of child sex abuse material at his home in the Philippines.Daily Mail · 29 Oct, 13:41
• Philippine police obtain warrant to search Thomas Markle's devicesImages of child sexual abuse allegedly belonging to Meghan Markle's father had reportedly been found in his former home in the Philippines.BBC News · 29 Oct, 13:25
• Police to examine Thomas Markle's digital devices after child sex abuse image claimsPolice in the Philippines have been handed a warrant by a court to start examining digital material alleged to contain child sex abuse images belonging to the Duchess of Sussex's father, Thomas Markle Snr.Sky News · 29 Oct, 12:26
• Watch: BBC in the Philippines where Thomas Markle is expected to be investigatedJonathan Head is in Cebu, reporting from outside the home where Markle last resided.BBC News · 29 Oct, 07:28

In this story: Thomas Markle Sr · Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex · Thomas Markle Jr · Cebu · Philippines · United States · FBI

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