BBC suspends presenter accused of paying teenager for explicit images

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The BBC has suspended a prominent male presenter and reported them to the police over allegations that he paid a teenager for sexually explicit images.

The BBC confirmed on Sunday that it was investigating allegations that the presenter had given ?35,000 over three years to a young person who used the money to fund their crack cocaine habit.

The young person, who was allegedly only 17 years old when they began talking to the presenter, is said to have sent the BBC employee explicit images and performed on video calls.

The young person’s mother complained to the BBC in mid-May about the presenter’s alleged actions, but he remained on air until last week, when journalists at the Sun approached the BBC for comment. A specialist unit at the Metropolitan police that deals with high-profile individuals was informed of the allegations on Friday, with further conversations with the police set to take place on Monday.

Questions are already being asked over whether the BBC acted fast enough. One BBC source suggested the initial complaint from the mother had been “concerning”, but the Sun’s claims were more substantial and triggered a full-blown investigation.

Media outlets have not named the presenter, with sources at the Sun citing the UK’s increasingly strong privacy laws as a reason for not identifying the individual. Last year the supreme court ruled that, in most cases, individuals under investigation by official organisations should not be named before charges are brought because it could unfairly damage their reputation.

Although the age of consent in England and Wales is 16 years old, the minimum age at which people are allowed to send explicit photographs is 18.

One key legal issue is whether the young person sent the BBC presenter any pictures when they were 17, which could amount to possession of child sexual abuse images, a serious criminal charge that incurs a minimum of six months’ prison. If explicit photos were exchanged only after they turned 18, it is possible that no law was broken.

The corporation said on Sunday: “The BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations. 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.

“It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care. We have been clear that if – at any point – new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.”

The mother claimed she had seen the BBC presenter “stripped to his underpants for a video call” and that he was sending large sums of money to her child, who is now 20 and a drug user.

She told the Sun that she had gone to the press because she felt the BBC was not acting fast enough on her allegations: “My child said they had run out of money and then suddenly had this cash. It’s obvious to me the BBC hadn’t spoken to this man between our complaint on May 19 and in June, as they thought he was too important.

“We never wanted an investigation. We just wanted the BBC to tell him to stop. Initially the security boss gave us a number that didn’t exist.”

The BBC director general, Tim Davie, also emailed staff about the allegations, confirming that the corporation had first received a complaint almost two months ago: “The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up. New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols. I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff. By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex.”

He also condemned false accusations against various other prominent male BBC presenters that have spread on social media, which have forced the likes of Nicky Campbell, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker to distance themselves from the claim.

Davie said: “I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent. We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.”

The suspension of one of the BBC’s presenters has shocked staff. Senior executives have been locked in regular meetings since the story broke, and Davie is expected to face questions over whether the corporation acted fast enough.

The culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, spoke with Davie and said the BBC should now be “given the space” to investigate the allegations. She said he had assured her that the BBC “are investigating swiftly and sensitively”.

“Given the nature of the allegations, it is important that the BBC is now given the space to conduct its investigation, establish the facts and take appropriate action. I will be kept updated,” she added.