What We Know About Thomas Markle Abuse Image Allegations

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said Friday she was "deeply distressed" by a report alleging her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., possessed child sexual abuse images, according to NBC News. In her statement, Meghan said she was first informed by police of "disturbing allegations" against her father in 2018, the same year she married Prince Harry.

What did Meghan Markle say?

Meghan called the scope of the allegations "more sickening than one could ever imagine," per the statement reported by NBC News. She has had a limited and fraught relationship with her father in recent years; Thomas Markle Sr. did not attend her 2018 wedding.

What are the allegations against Thomas Markle Sr.?

The claims center on child sexual abuse videos and images allegedly kept at Markle Sr.'s home in the Philippines. The allegations were first reported Thursday by The Sun, a British tabloid, which said Markle Sr.'s son, Thomas Markle Jr., told police he found "hundreds, if not thousands" of such images in boxes at his father's residence, NBC News reported.

How did the allegations surface?

The Sun published what it described as a photo of Thomas Markle Jr. signing a sworn statement submitted to police, quoting him as saying, "I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him." Markle Jr. told the tabloid he reported the discovery to both the FBI and local authorities in the Philippines.

What has Thomas Markle Sr. said in response?

Markle Sr., 82, denied the allegations in a statement to Britain's Daily Mail, calling them "sick lies" and "the worst thing anyone could accuse me of." The Daily Mail reported he is currently at a rehabilitation center in Florida recovering from surgery. NBC News said it was unable to immediately identify a contact for Markle Sr.

What happens next in the investigation?

The Philippines' justice department confirmed Friday that "the matter is under investigation" but declined to provide further details, according to NBC News. The FBI did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. Police in Cebu City, where Markle Sr.'s Philippine home is located, have not publicly detailed the status of any case.

By the numbers

• 2018: Year Meghan says police first informed her of allegations against her father, the same year she married Prince Harry.
• 82: Thomas Markle Sr.'s age, according to the Daily Mail.
• "Hundreds, if not thousands": The volume of images Thomas Markle Jr. told The Sun he discovered in boxes at his father's home.

The case adds another chapter to the public rupture between Meghan and her father, which began before her wedding and has played out largely through British tabloids and occasional statements from both sides. No criminal charges have been publicly announced in either the United States or the Philippines as of Friday.