Meghan Confirms 2018 Warning Letter

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stated on Friday that she received a letter from U.K. police in 2018 detailing allegations against her father, Thomas Markle. The duchess described the news of a formal investigation in the Philippines as "deeply distressing" in a statement sent to CBS News.

The statement details that a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018. Meghan said the letter contained "troubling and disturbing allegations" against her father. She noted that she was given assurances at the time that the matter was under investigation.

Philippine state media confirmed on Friday that the Department of Justice is investigating Markle. The state-run Philippine News Agency reported that the probe involves an American national in his eighties. Authorities are examining reports that child abuse videos and photos were found in a home in Cebu province.

A Filipino justice official told the agency that the department's anti-trafficking task force is handling the case. The official confirmed that Thomas Markle Sr. is the subject of the inquiry. The investigation follows reports that Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., found the materials in storage boxes at their family home.

Markle Jr. allegedly discovered the items after turning on an old cell phone while his father was in the United States for medical treatment. He reportedly contacted the FBI, the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, and Pennsylvania state police in July. Markle Jr. told The Sun on Thursday that he reported his father to Philippine authorities.

Thomas Markle Sr. denied the claims in a report by The Daily Mail on Friday. He stated that he had never downloaded such material and called the accusations "sick lies." Meanwhile, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the force is conducting internal enquiries to confirm that its officers helped pass along the 2018 letter.

Meghan addressed her estrangement from her father in the same statement. She said she distanced herself from him to protect her children. She expressed hope that justice would be served and that the safety of innocent children would remain the priority.