Thomas Markle 'dead in the water' after second stash of child abuse images found, top US lawyer says - as net closes in - The Irish Sun

Mexican Authorities Raid Storage Unit Tied to Thomas Markle Sr.

Mexican law enforcement officers raided an abandoned storage unit in Rosarito, Mexico, following a report that it contained child pornography linked to Thomas Markle Sr. The early morning operation on Saturday saw Guardia Nacional sex crimes investigators inspect the 5ft by 10ft vault at Baja Storage, located 10 miles south of the U.S. border.

The Daily Mail initially alerted the FBI to the contents of Unit 22 on Friday, prompting the local police action. Forensic computing experts and crime scene investigators participated in the search, which concluded around 3 a.m. Public Prosecutor Emmanuel Sabino Sanchez Martinez must submit a written report to the court within a day, though officials estimate examining the seized items will take weeks.

The Daily Mail reported that the storage container was originally rented to the Duchess of Sussex’s estranged father in 2017. Rental payments lapsed two years ago, and Markle relocated to the Philippines in early 2025 without clearing out the unit. Business staff and the owner stated they were unaware of the cache prior to the discovery.

Prior Allegations and Royal Household Correspondence

The development follows separate inquiries into material allegedly found at Markle’s former residence in Cebu, Philippines. A letter detailing serious claims against Markle was sent in 2019 to a joint office at Kensington Palace shared by Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle. The correspondence was reportedly written by Markle’s former wife, Roslyn Loveless, and passed to the royal couples by protection officers.

Loveless stated in her 2019 letter to Scotland Yard’s Fixated Threat Assessment Center that Markle claimed he traveled to the Philippines and Thailand because the age of consent at the time was 12. While the legal age of sexual consent in the Philippines was 12 in 2019, paying for sex with anyone under 18 remained illegal. The country subsequently raised the minimum age of consent to 16 in 2022.

Loveless was married to Markle from 1965 to 1975 and died in 2024. Markle and Doria Ragland, the mother of the Duchess of Sussex, married in 1979 and divorced in 1987.

Responses and Ongoing Legal Scrutiny

Thomas Markle Sr. has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, dismissing claims regarding child abuse as false while acknowledging he has previously paid for sex as a single man. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Markle stated, “I never had sex with anyone under the age of 18. I like Asian women but that is not a crime.”

Meghan Markle released a statement to Page Six expressing that she was “deeply distressed” by the investigation into her father. The former actress noted that although the scope of the allegations was severe, she hoped justice would be served with a priority on protecting children. The Duchess previously sent a final letter to her father last year while he was recovering from a leg amputation in the Philippines, informing him that he would not meet her children.

Legal experts discussing the Mexican storage unit raid note that if charged and convicted, Markle could face 10 to 12 years in prison. Public prosecutor proceedings in Mexico remain active as authorities analyze the seized boxes.

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