London, UK - Meghan Markle said Friday she was "deeply distressed" following accusations that her father had possessed images of child abuse, adding she had blocked contact between him and her children over previous "troubling and disturbing" allegations.

The Sun, Daily Mail, and Telegraph newspapers reported Friday that images had allegedly been found among her father Thomas Markle's possessions at his former home in the Philippines.

After the reports, Meghan revealed that in 2018 she had seen a letter sent to London's Metropolitan Police making similar accusations.

"It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," she said in a statement.

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Prince Harry, the second son of King Charles III and estranged brother of heir to the throne Prince William, married the former actor at the royal family's Windsor Castle estate in May 2018. Thomas Markle did not attend.

"I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed," Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said in the statement.

Meghan, who has two children with Harry – Archie (7) and Lilibet (5) – said she hoped it could "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."

The couple left Britain and quit royal duties in 2020 amid a bitter royal family feud.

But the family made an unexpected return to live in the UK in August.

"Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children," Meghan added.