London —Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement sent to CBS News Friday that she was “deeply distressed” by reports that her father, Thomas Markle, is under investigation by authorities in the Philippines for alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials.

Meghan, whorecently moved back to Britainwith her husband Prince Harry and their children, said she had been aware of allegations against her father since 2018, and that those allegations were shared with U.K. authorities at the time.

“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” her Friday statement said.

At this time, it is understood that the Metropolitan Police has not and is not currently investigating Thomas Markle.

“We are aware of media reports that officers from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command were involved in the passing on of a letter in 2018,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said. “We are undertaking enquiries internally in an effort to confirm this.”

Meghan said she had distanced herself from her father in an effort to protect her children.

“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them,” she said.

The British tabloid The SunreportedThursday that Thomas Markle, who has beenestranged from his daughter for years, had been reported to authorities in the Philippines by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., after the younger man allegedly discovered child abuse materials in storage boxes at his father’s home in the Philippines.

The Daily Mailreported Fridaythat Markle had denied the allegations against him.

“I have never downloaded anything like that in my life,” he was quoted as telling the newspaper, as well as dismissing the allegations as “sick lies.”

Source: CBS News