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We don’t think that the Sussex pair realized just how much their respective families had in common.
Last month, Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle was turned in for allegedly possessing child sex-abuse material (CSAM) by his own son.
Now, authorities in the Philippines say that Thomas Jr. is a person of interest in the case.
What role do investigators believe that he played?
‘We will investigate whether the son was involved’
During a press conference on Thursday, November 5, Philippines Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla named Thomas Markle Jr. as a person of interest in the probe into his father, Thomas Sr.
News5 Philippines reports that this development stems from a witness statement.
“We have a witness [who says] underage girls were being brought to his house,” Remulla shared.
The Interior Secretary added: “We will investigate whether the son was involved in the crime.”
At this time, the public does not know details of the witness’ statement, or what other evidence may be involved.
“To accuse the father only is only half the police work,” Remulla emphasized.
“There are signs that point that the son is involved in the crime as well,” the Interior Secretary acknowledged.
“But,” Remulla stressed, “only as a person of interest so far.”
Ordinarily, one would assume that the person who blew the whistle on CSAM possession is not themselves guilty of a similar crime — as an investigation into one party might lead to the other.
Some have speculated on social media that Thomas Sr. may have followed Samantha Markle’s lead and is pointing the finger at his son. The accusation could even be that his son is framing him.
‘I didn’t want to look because I can’t unsee it’
Remulla confirmed that 7,500 sensitive images of children, of a variety of apparent ethnic backgrounds, were found across a cellphone, dismantled CPUs, and other devices.
“They presented it to me but I didn’t want to look because I can’t unsee it,” he admitted.
That is actually pretty wise. If you have a strong visual memory, seeing an unbidden image of a very real child’s life being ruined can haunt you for years. This is one of the reasons for which jobs that track CSAM have high burnout.
“It is the most deplorable displays of impunity towards sexual activity that I have ever seen. It’s really, really disturbing,” Remulla commented.
He acknowledged that investigators have yet to confirm that Thomas Sr. owned the devices. They are seeking assistance from the FBI to establish ownership. Given the current state of the FBI, we wish them luck.
If we briefly entertain the possibilities, there are several. They are not all equal in likelihood, however.
One is that a man discovered horrific images in his own father’s possession and made the courageous choice to turn him in.
Another is that two men shared in a crime, and after a falling out, one turned in the other — his own father.
Then there are more conspiratorial theories, such as the son being the sole criminal and framing his father, or even an unknown third party framing the father — and counting on the son or someone else believing it to turn the man in.
We could discuss which of these sounds more likely. Hopefully, the investigation will uncover the truth.
For now, however, we are just thinking about how cruel so many tabloids were about Meghan’s estrangement from her father — dating all the way back to the royal wedding. Never judge someone for cutting off family, even if you believe that you know why.
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