The Duchess of Sussex says she was “given assurances” the allegations were being investigated when they were first brought to her attention in 2018

Meghan Markle has kept her distance from her estranged father for years, due in no small part to claims he possessed images of child sexual abuse, for which Thomas Markle Sr. is currently being investigated. In a statement shared with the Guardian , the Duchess of Sussex describes the allegations, which were first brought to her attention in 2018, as “troubling and disturbing.”

Markle said she was “given assurances” at the time that these claims were being investigated after a letter sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection detailing the allegations was shared with her. The claims have surged into public conversation this week after Thomas Markle Jr., son of Markle Sr., reported discovering an accumulation of inappropriate images at his father’s home in the Philippines. Markle Jr.…