Meghan Markle's father Thomas is at the centre of a child sex probe after being reported to police by his own son.
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father → report → son
Thomas Markle Snr is being investigated over a hoard of images that are said to have been found at his Philippines home.
But the family erupted in fury over the claims, with Meghan's half-sister Samantha accusing her brother Thomas Jr, 60, of inventing the story to make money - even suggesting their father had been framed.
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father → investigate → money
Thomas Jnr told police he stumbled across 'hundreds' of child sex abuse images in four large boxes at his father's home in the city of Cebu, The Sun reported on Thursday evening.
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Sun → tell → evening
Among the material was said to be a 15-minute video of young girls, who appeared younger than 11, performing sex acts - alongside a number of still pictures of scantily-clad children.
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who → say → children
Thomas Jnr claimed one of the images was a photograph of a laptop, in the background of which he recognised a room in his father's former home in Mexico.
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he → claim → Mexico
He made the discovery over the summer, after Thomas Snr had been forced to return to the US by a stroke and blood clot that led to the amputation of his left leg.
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that → make → leg
Thomas Jr said he had been searching for a mobile phone for his Filipino girlfriend when he came across the stash that his father had allegedly left behind.
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father → say → that
Thomas Markle Snr, pictured with Rio Canedo, 46, is the subject of a child sex investigation after being reported to police by his own son
Meghan and her father Thomas, pictured here together, have been estranged since 2018, the year she married Prince Harry
Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's brother, claimed to have found the child-abuse material packed up in boxes at his father's Philippines home
He reported his discovery to the FBI Hotline on July 10, the US-based National Centre for Exploited and Missing Children and the state police in Pennsylvania where his father was living.
Filipino police have launched an investigation and are preparing to seize the evidence.
A source close to Meghan reportedly told the paper: 'Now maybe people will finally understand why she has had nothing to do with her father since 2018.'
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she → picture → 2018
The Daily Mail has contacted the Sussexes for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
But Samantha, Meghan's sister, furiously hit back last night, branding her brother's allegations about their father as 'disgusting' and 'having no merit in them whatsoever'.
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Samantha → hit → them
Ms Markle, 61, who is her father's main caregiver, called her brother a 'liar' and claimed he was making up the allegations to make money.
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he → call → money
Samantha said the Sun's story is factually incorrect.
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story → say → ?
The accusations claim the boxes were found 'at Tom's house in the Phillipines'.
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boxes → claim → Phillipines
Samantha said: 'That is not factually true.
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That → say → ?
The computers were packed up in Mexico and put on a cargo ship.
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computers → pack → ship
Dad had no access to them.
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Dad → have → them
Dad had no access to those computers for two years.
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Dad → have → years
Who knows who could have had access to them?
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who → know → them
I don't believe any of it.
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I → believe → it
Anyone could have set dad up.'
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Anyone → set → dad
She said: 'There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever and my brother is disgusting for making them up.
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brother → say → them
He wants to destroy our dad.
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He → want → dad
'My brother first came out with these lies a few weeks ago when the cash from my dad was cut off.
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cash → come → dad
He has used dad as a cash cow for years and once the money stopped he made up the most outrageous lies he could to try and make money from the media.
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he → use → media
Samantha added that her father's computers were out of his possession for two years.
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computers → add → years
She said: 'There is no proof my dad downloaded any images.
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dad → say → images
That leaves a lot of room for tampering.
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That → leave → tampering
Dad was in a rehabilitation facility and did not have access to those computers.
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Dad → have → computers
Award-winning Hollywood lighting director Mr Markle Sr. then married Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland and Meghan was born in 1981.
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Meghan → win → 1981
Tom Sr became estranged from Meghan on the eve of her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry after he suffered two heart attacks and was unable to attend the ceremony at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
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he → become → Chapel
He has never met his grandchildren Archie, seven and five-year-old Lilibet.
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He → meet → grandchildren
Samantha said her 82-year-old father is in poor health and 'hanging on by a thread: 'Dad has severe physical and cognitive issues and is too frail and sick to defend himself.
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Dad → say → himself
It's disgusting that my brother is trying to destroy a man who has done nothing but support him his entire life.
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who → try → him
My brother needs money.
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brother → need → money
That is what this is all about.'
Mr Markle had his left leg amputated below the knee last December and has suffered several heart attacks and a stroke.
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leg → have → attacks
Samantha accused her brother of nursing a 'vendetta' against their father.
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Samantha → accuse → father
She said: 'My brother has had this vendetta against my dad for years and when the money runs out he makes up stories for cash.
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he → say → cash
He made up a story a few years ago about my dad snorting cocaine with hookers in Thailand.
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dad → make → Thailand
My brother makes up lies about dad and sells stories because it's the only way for him to make money fast.
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him → make → money
'When you talk to dad he shrugs and says: 'It is what it is.'
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it → talk → dad
…and 42 more, not listed.