UPDATE: The U.K. government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has described allegations that a star BBC presenter paid for sexually explicit photographs of a teenager as “deeply concerning.” U.K. culture secretary Lucy Frazer said that BBC director general Tim Davie had assured her that the corporation is investigating the allegations “swiftly and sensitively.”
“As a public service broadcaster in receipt of public funding, senior officials have stressed to the BBC that the allegations must be investigated urgently and sensitively,” the DCMS said in a statement.
PREVIOUSLY: U.K. broadcaster BBC is amidst a gathering storm over allegations that a star presenter paid for sexually explicit photographs of a teenager.
The scandal emerged on Friday when U.K. tabloid The Sun published a story alleging that a top BBC presenter paid a teenager more than £35,000 ($44,500) since they were 17 in exchange for explicit photographs.
“The alleged recipient’s mother said they had used the cash to fund a crack habit,” The Sun wrote.
It is believed that the presenter – “a familiar face who is known to millions,” according to The Sun – was taken off air after the story broke.
On Saturday, fresh allegations emerged in the tabloid that the presenter stripped to their underwear for a video call. The Sun wrote, quoting the alleged victim’s mother who claimed to have seen the presenter on her child’s phone: “leaning forward, getting ready for my child to perform for him.”
The mother’s claims are in a sworn affidavit provided to The Sun, the tabloid said, adding that the young person’s family complained to the BBC on May 19.
A BBC spokesperson told Variety: “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.”
Meanwhile, several BBC presenters have taken to social media to deny that they are the star presenter, including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker.