BBC presenter suspended over "deeply concerning" allegations
A BBC presenter has been suspended after allegations emerged of them playing a teenager for sexually explicit images.
The unnamed presenter allegedly paid the teenager, who was 17 when the correspondence began, a total of £35,000 ($67,000AUD) for the pictures over a three year period.
UK culture minister Lucy Frazer said earlier she had spoken about the "deeply concerning" allegations with BBC Director General Tim Davie, who assured her the BBC is "investigating swiftly and sensitively".
The allegations were first reported by The Sun newspaper, who said the child’s mother first came forward with the allegations in May 2023.
The presenter reportedly stayed on the air for a month after the initial report was made.
The alleged victim’s mother also said that the money given to their child was used to fund a drug habit.
The woman said of the BBC presenter, “When I see him on telly, I feel sick. I blame this BBC man for destroying my child’s life.”
"Taking my child’s innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child.”
In a statement on Sunday, the BBC confirmed that it "first became aware of a complaint in May".
"New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols," it added.
The statement said that "a male member of staff has been suspended".
"This is a complex and fast moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps," the BBC added.
London's Metropolitan Police released a statement later on Sunday confirming the BBC contacted it over the matter, "but no formal referral or allegation has been made".
"We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow," it added.
The BBC said it takes "any allegations seriously" and has "robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations".
In an internal email sent to staff and quoted on the BBC website, Davie said he is "wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent".
Since The Sun published the allegations, some BBC presenters have taken to social media to deny that they are the broadcaster in question, with the perpetrator yet to be formally named.
Image credits: Getty Images