Philippine authorities have asked the FBI to help identify the registered users of six US-origin phones in a child sexual abuse material investigation that has now expanded to the man who submitted the evidence.
Thomas Markle Jr., the half-brother of Meghan Markle, said the devices were left by their father, Thomas Markle Sr., but investigators have not verified that claim.
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla declared Thursday, that Markle Jr., 60, is a person of interest after witnesses reported seeing underage girls brought to his residence in Cebu, local news reports.
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The younger Markle had previously directed investigators toward his father. He surrendered electronic equipment and other belongings to Philippine authorities on October 23, alleging that he had discovered sexual abuse images among his father’s possessions.
His account prompted a police examination, but it did not establish who had used the equipment.
The Philippine National Police obtained a court-authorized warrant on October 29 to examine the submitted material. By November 3, preliminary forensic work had identified suspected child sexual abuse and exploitation files on storage media and a phone.
On Thursday, Remulla said investigators had recovered approximately 7,500 photographs and one video allegedly depicting abuse of children, some estimated to be 10 or 11 years old. The initial examination identified material on three SD cards and one mobile phone, while police had earlier listed a broader collection of nine phones, five hard drives, three SD cards, and a camera.
The FBI request concerns registration information for six phones originating in the US. Such records could help investigators trace the equipment, although registration alone would not determine who stored the material.
Remulla also described witness accounts of ring lights at Markle Jr.’s residence. The younger Markle attributed the lights to videos made for social media, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
The Philippine Interior chief said police reviewed his social-media profiles and found no minors featured in the posts examined.
Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators must establish the source of the files, individual responsibility, and whether Philippine laws were broken.
Markle Jr. has not been named a suspect. His father, 82, has denied the allegations, and no charge against either man has been publicly confirmed.
