A well-known BBC presenter has been accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs, according to a report by The Sun. As per the tabloid, the presenter- who has not been named – began to pay the alleged victim “tens of thousands of pounds” beginning when they were 17.
As per The Sun, the young person's family complained to the BBC on May 19. The newspaper stated, “The well-known presenter is accused of giving the teen more than £35,000 since they were 17 in return for sordid images.”
The report also added that the family approached the newspaper to share their story – free of cost – after the presenter continued to remain on air, following their complaint to BBC. The alleged victim is now 20 and used the money obtained from the BBC presenter to procure drugs, as per the family. The young person's mother has said that the alleged victim, in three years, has gone from being a "happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict”.
About the presenter, The Sun shared nothing except that he is “a familiar face who is known to millions.” The report said, “Last night the presenter, a familiar face who is known to millions, was off the air while the BBC investigated the mother's bombshell claims. The family complained to the BBC about his behaviour on May 19 and begged them to make the man ‘stop sending the cash' .”
As per a report by The Guardian, The Sun informed the BBC about the allegations “ via the corporate press office of allegations concerning a BBC presenter” on July 6. The Guardian added that this was the “first time that the director-general or any executive directors at the BBC were aware of the case.”
What does the BBC have to say?
In response, a report by BBC said that they are “looking into the allegations, and that the star is currently not scheduled to be on air in the coming days.”
In a statement, BBC said, "We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them. As part of that, if we receive information that requires further investigation or examination, we will take steps to do this. That includes actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation. If we get no reply to our attempts or receive no further contact that can limit our ability to progress things but it does not mean our enquiries stop. If, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided - including via newspapers - this will be acted upon appropriately, in line with internal processes."
Several BBC broadcasters including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine, Gary Lineker, and Nicky Campbell have also shared social media posts – some more direct than the others – that they are not the accused presenter.
As per a report by The Guardian, a lawyer representing the 20-year-old alleged victim has described the report by The Sun as “rubbish”. They also added that the alleged victim was not approached for comment prior to publication, insisting “that they told the Sun last week that the story was wrong,” following its release.
