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Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., is breaking his silence on allegations he sexually assaulted a child.
“I have never had sex with anyone under the age of 18,” Thomas, 82, told the Daily Mail on Saturday, October 24, vowing to “do whatever it takes” to clear his name.
Thomas Sr.’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., claimed to The Sun earlier this week that he allegedly found child sex abuse materials (CSAM) inside his father’s home in the Philippines. Thomas Sr. vehemently denied the accusations, branding the claims as “sick lies.”
Meghan, 45, claimed that she received a letter sent to the U.K.’s Metropolitan in 2018 that alerted her to the allegations, prompting her estrangement from her father.
“[Meghan] never said a word to me about this letter accusing me of such terrible things,” Thomas Sr. told the outlet. “If Meghan or anyone else had come to me in 2018 and told me about the letter, I would have had a chance to defend myself.”
The Sun also reported that the letter accused Thomas Sr. of sexually abusing a minor, with the sender claiming that the former lighting designer confessed to his actions.
Thomas Sr. further told the Daily Mail that he “slept with prostitutes” twice in the Philippines, but none of whom were underage.
“I like Asian women, but that is not a crime,” he said, telling the outlet that he is willing to speak with investigators and submit to a lie detector test to prove his apparent innocence.
Thomas Sr. also suggested that any CSAM images found in his possession were “planted” to destroy his reputation before his eventual death.
“Do I love beautiful young women? Yes. Do I like looking at pictures of beautiful women? Yes,” he said. “I have always dated age-appropriate women and I know if you talk to my ex-wife [Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother] or any of my ex-girlfriends they would tell you we had a normal sex life.”
Thomas Sr. stressed that he is “bewildered” by his son’s accusations, considering he alleges that they did not share a residence in the Philippines.
“I never shared a house with Tom,” Thomas Sr. told the Daily Mail. “My computer and old phone were packed up in Mexico and put on a boat to the Philippines. It took months. I kept asking my son for my computer and he said it was coming. He would never give it to me and I didn’t understand why.”
Thomas’ eldest daughter, Samantha Markle, also doesn’t understand her brother’s motives.
“Dad is incredibly fragile both physically and mentally,” Samantha, 61, told the outlet. “I think it’s incredibly cruel of my brother to do this to him when he’s 82 and probably close to the end of his life.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
