Thomas Markle Sr has admitted paying prostitutes during previous visits to the Philippines, while denying that he has ever had sex with anyone under the age of 18.
Meghan Markle’s estranged father told the Mail on Sunday: “I have never had sex with anyone under the age of 18.”
He said he had travelled to the Philippines at least twice before living there and had “slept with prostitutes” during those trips. “I like Asian women but that is not a crime,” he added.
Mr Markle also denied any involvement in an alleged photograph of a bearded man sexually assaulting a girl, which the newspaper said was in the possession of Philippine authorities.
“I have never been in a photograph like that,” he said.
The statements come after the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it sent Meghan a letter in 2019 containing “several claims” about her father. The force acknowledged that the letter was not passed to any law-enforcement agency outside the UK.
Mr Markle said he believed his son, Thomas Markle Jr, who has claimed he found alleged child abuse images on his father’s property, may also have been behind the letter.
Meghan said last week that the letter was the reason she ended contact between her children and Mr Markle. He confirmed that there was no contact between them and said he had not been given an opportunity to defend himself against what he called “lies”.
Mr Markle further claimed that any child abuse images found on his property had been planted. Authorities in the Philippines are investigating him over the alleged stash, following Mr Markle Jr’s claim that he felt obliged to report what he said he had discovered.
