Philippine authorities have named Thomas Markle Jr., the estranged half‑brother of the Duchess of Sussex, as a “person of interest” in an ongoing inquiry into child sexual‑abuse image allegations made against his father, Thomas Markle Sr. The designation was announced by interior and local government secretary Jonvic Remulla at a press conference in Manila.
The investigation concerns alleged child sexual‑abuse images that prosecutors say involve Thomas Markle Sr., the father of Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex. Philippine police have been examining the case since the allegations surfaced, but no formal charges have been filed against any party.
Speaking to reporters, Secretary Remulla said there are “signs that point that the son is involved in the crime as well,” referring to Thomas Markle Jr. He emphasized, however, that the half‑brother is not currently being treated as a suspect and that the inquiry remains in its early stages.
Thomas Markle Jr. has been publicly estranged from his half‑sister Meghan Markle for several years. While he has previously attracted media attention for unrelated matters, Philippine officials have not disclosed any specific evidence linking him to the alleged abuse images.
Authorities in the Philippines say the probe will continue, and they have not ruled out the possibility of further developments. No official statement has been released by the Markle family regarding the investigation.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>
