Meghan's Father Had Child Abuse Images, Police Confirm

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they shared a 2019 letter with the office of the Duchess of Sussex. That letter contained serious allegations of offending involving her father, Thomas Markle Sr. This confirmation follows reports released on Friday that Markle Sr possessed images of child sexual abuse.

Scotland Yard stated that the letter arrived in January 2019. It detailed claims of offending that occurred outside of Britain. The police force explained that the information was sent to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. However, the Met clarified that the document was not passed along to other law enforcement agencies at that time.

The details emerged after The Sun reported that Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, discovered the images. Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines that he found hundreds or possibly thousands of images on computers and phones. These devices were stored in four large boxes at the couple’s former home in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in that house until he returned to the United States in May following a stroke. Markle Jr also said he contacted the FBI in the US about the findings.

Thomas Markle Sr has denied the claims. In a statement to the Daily Mail, he called the accusations "sick lies." A Met spokesperson said the force conducted a thorough review of its records. The letter had been sent to the Protection Command to raise security concerns for the Duchess. The spokesperson noted that a decision was made to share it with the royal couple. The force is now reviewing how the matter was managed in 2019 and is considering a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

On Friday, Meghan said she was "deeply distressed" by the news. Through a spokesperson, she expressed sympathy for any children who may have been harmed. She confirmed that a letter with "troubling and disturbing allegations" had been shared with her. She said she was given assurances that the claims were being investigated. Her decision to keep her father away from her children, she explained, was made solely to protect them.

Meghan is estranged from her father, who has never met her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The couple recently moved back to the UK from the US. Meghan initially said the letter was sent in 2018, but she later corrected this to 2019. Her spokesperson said it is understandable that she might be off by a few months when recalling events from more than seven years ago without a written record. The spokesperson added that the police time-stamp should be the accurate reference point.

Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations when she first learned of them in 2019. They said this was to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation. They also noted that speaking out could have led to legal action against her.