BBC presenter scandal updates — Cops share statement amid TV presenter’s ‘sex pics’ allegations
BBC bosses and the Met Police met to discuss the star at the centre of the sex picture scandal, with cops hunting 'evidence of criminal offence'.
Yesterday, the Met Police said it had met with Beeb bosses.
The force said: "Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of Monday, 10 July. The meeting took place virtually.
"They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed. There is no investigation at this time."
Meanwhile, other stars including Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark and Jeremy Vine have denied they're the BBC star.
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Top BBC star suspended after ‘paying teenager for sexual pictures’
The top BBC star accused of paying a child for sexual pictures has been suspended.
The well-known man allegedly gave a youngster more than £35,000 for sordid images in a scandal that has rocked the national broadcaster.
The Sun exclusively revealed that the presenter was taken off air - and that the child's mum saw images of him sitting on his sofa in his underpants.
The BBC confirmed the man has now been suspended as a result, and that it has been in touch with the police.
Scandal looks 'horrendous' for the BBC
One BBC presenter told the : “On the face of it, this looks horrendous — both for the individual and the institution.”
While another said: “Whatever the truth of it is, none of us trust managers to investigate properly.
"Colleagues are saying managers have been too slow in dealing with this despite it perhaps being a criminal matter.”
BBC presenter in ‘sex pics’ scandal faces pressure to reveal identity as TV and radio producers ready to clear schedules
The BBC star at the centre of a 'sex picture' scandal is said to be under "massive pressure" by fellow broadcasters to resign.
The corporation's production staff - both on TV and radio - are leaving space in their schedules in case he names himself, it has been claimed.
There is said to be an uprising among staff at the Beeb, who are calling for the accused star to come forward.
The stars are said to be "so sick" of the man keeping quiet, seeing the finger pointed at some of them.
BBC presenters 'really, really worried' about scandal
One senior BBC News journalist told : "We are all really really worried about this mess.
"Obviously everyone knows who the presenter is.
"The presenter in question is very in with the management.
"We are all so sick and tired that these people are protecting their friend at the expense of the integrity of the BBC."
COMMENT: BBC must urgently come clean about its actions over presenter — or risk irreparable damage to public trust
The following is a comment piece by The Sun.
FOUR days have passed since The Sun first reported harrowing allegations that a top BBC presenter had sent tens of thousands of pounds to a vulnerable teenager, who was supplying him with sex pictures.
The youngster — just 17 when contact was first made between the pair — used the cash to pay for deadly crack cocaine, putting their own health in peril and ripping apart their distressed family.
By its own admission, the BBC has “very serious” questions to answer and its reputation is suffering “serious damage”.
Politicians from all sides, meanwhile, say it is “deeply concerning” that the presenter accused of serious misconduct was not immediately taken off air, and are calling for a full investigation.
Police give update on BBC presenter ‘sex pics’ enquiries after meeting with corporation bosses
BBC bosses and the Met Police have today met to discuss the star at the centre of the sex picture scandal.
The meeting took place virtually today, detectives confirmed.
The force said: "Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of Monday, 10 July. The meeting took place virtually.
"They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.
"There is no investigation at this time."
What is the BBC star accused of?
The unnamed top BBC star is off air while allegations he paid the teenager for sexual pictures are investigated.
Sleazy messages are alleged to have started in 2020, when the youngster was 17.
The family say the BBC presenter never hid his identity and even sent pictures of himself at work.
She said she was told the star requested “performances” and, heartbreakingly, her child said they would “get their bits out”.
Warning over more ‘collateral victims’ in BBC presenter scandal as corporation told to ‘get its house in order’
The Justice Secretary has warned the BBC needs to "get its house in order" amid the scandal surrounding a well-known presenter.
It has been three days since The Sun exclusively revealed a star had allegedly paid a youngster more than £35,000, while they sent him sordid images.
The BBC has since been slammed by the cop who exposed paedophile BBC star Jimmy Savile, with calls for the broadcaster to name the presenter.
Piers Morgan also blasted BBC for its "ridiculous" coverage of the presenter to date.
This morning Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said he was "pleased" cops would be involved in discussions today.
But he said the investigations need to be delved into and dealt with promptly.
Latest on BBC sex probe
- BBC star who ‘paid teen for sex pics’ could face years in prison
- Teen’s mum claims star stripped to his pants for call
- 8 questions BBC refused to answer about star taken off air
- Star ‘partied with BBC bosses AFTER complaint made’
- Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark & Jeremy Vine all deny being the star
- The presenter allegedly gave the teen £35k for sordid images
- Mum blames BBC man for giving money for drugs to her child
- Piers Morgan blasts ‘ridiculous’ BBC coverage
- BBC ‘is getting calls from MORE members of public about the behaviour of the presenter‘
- A cop who exposed paedophile BBC star Jimmy Savile said the broadcaster MUST name the presenter
Top BBC star who ‘paid child for sex pictures’ could be charged by cops
The top BBC star who is accused of paying a child for sexual photos could face criminal charges and years behind bars, an expert says.
The well-known presenter allegedly gave the teen more than £35,000 for sordid images in a scandal that has rocked the national broadcaster.
The Sun exclusively revealed that the star was taken off air, and that the child’s mum saw images of him sitting on his sofa in his underpants.
Now Nazir Afzal, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor who led the prosecution in the Rochdale grooming gang cases, has the presenter could potentially be charged with sexual exploitation under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
He added: “The police should have been engaged as soon as they worked out whether the complaint was genuine.
“Where are we now — the middle of July? Six, seven weeks on.
“They should have advised the police that this is a matter that they should be investigating, and that should have been done weeks ago.
“There’s no justification for the police not having become involved as early as possible.”
Under the Protection of Children Act 1978, it is an offence to “make, distribute, possess or show any indecent images of anyone aged under 18”.
Who has denied claims they are the BBC presenter?
Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark and Jeremy Vine have denied they’re the BBC star.
Lineker – who fronts the BBC’s Match of the Day – tonight hit out at the social media allegations.
He wrote: “Hate to disappoint the haters but it’s not me.”
It came after Rylan, 34, who co-hosts the Beeb’s Eurovision coverage and is filming a travelogue for the Corporation, responded on Twitter.
The former X Factor contestant shared a meme of Oscar-slap actor Will Smith and wrote: “Not sure why my name’s floating about but re that story in The Sun – that ain’t me babe.
“I’m currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so take my name out ya mouths.”
Vine, 58, who hosts a news programme on Radio 2, tweeted: “Just to say I’m very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday.
“Whoever the ‘BBC presenter’ in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly ain’t me.”
Eamonn Holmes slams BBC
Eamonn Holmes has slammed the BBC for "prolonging the inevitable" by not naming their suspended TV presenter.
The TV star has become the latest person to wade in after the unnamed man allegedly paid £35,000 to a troubled youngster including for sexual pictures.
Eamonn questioned why the well-known presenter hasn't been identified yet.
He said: "The name is going to come out. It's going to come out and I don't really understand why it isn't already but do you agree?
“Do you think within the next few days, we will know that no matter what steps are put in place, we're going to find out who this is?”
Eamonn's comments came as he spoke to a former detective on GB News who helped expose paedo Jimmy Savile.
Piers Morgan blasts ‘ridiculous’ BBC coverage
Piers Morgan has blasted the BBC's "ridiculous" coverage of a presenter accused of paying a teen for sexual pictures - with the star now suspended.
The well-known presenter allegedly gave a youngster more than £35,000 for sordid images in a scandal that has rocked the national broadcaster.
Top BBC star suspended after ‘paying teenager for sexual pictures’
The top BBC star accused of paying a child for sexual pictures has been suspended.
The well-known man allegedly gave a youngster more than £35,000 for sordid images in a scandal that has rocked the national broadcaster.
The Sun exclusively revealed that the presenter was taken off air – and that the child’s mum saw images of him sitting on his sofa in his underpants.
The BBC confirmed the man has now been suspended as a result, and that it has been in touch with the police.
BBC full statement
The BBC said in a statement: “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 BBC 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.
“We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.
“We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC Board will continue to be kept up to date.”
Presenter accused of paying teenager for sexual pictures ‘partied with bosses AFTER complaint was made’
A BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager for sexual pictures allegedly partied with bosses at an awards do after a complaint about him was made.
The Sun revealed that the well-known presenter has been pulled off air while the BBC investigates claims he gave the teen more than £35,000 since they were 17 in return for sordid images.
And now it has been claimed the star joined BBC bosses for a champagne reception and three-course meal weeks after a complaint about him was made on May 19.
A fellow guest told : "If this man was aware of what was hanging over him, he certainly didn’t show it."
Nine questions the BBC refused to answer
The BBC refused to answer nine questions we put to them about their top star who was taken off air for ‘paying for sex pictures of a teen’.
The Beeb did not answer each one but instead referred us back to a general statement issued on Friday, including that it treats “any allegations very seriously”.
Panicked top BBC presenter ‘who paid for sex pics called youngster twice to demand their mum stops the investigation’
The BBC star accused of paying a teenager for sex images made two panicked calls to them after we revealed the bombshell claims.
The presenter, who was suspended today, allegedly rang last week asking: “What have you done?”
It is claimed he also asked the youngster to ring their mum to get her to “stop the investigation”.
The family say no one from the corporation rang them for a proper interview after the initial complaint.
On Saturday night the family handed a dossier of evidence to the broadcaster’s lead investigator, ex-cop Jeff Brown.
The claims include one that the presenter has given the youngster over £35,000 since they were 17.
BBC ‘is getting calls from MORE members of public about behaviour of presenter at centre of sex pics scandal’
The BBC is getting calls from more members of the public about the behaviour of the presenter at the centre of the sex pics scandal, sources have claimed.
Cops have been contacted by the BBC after it suspended a star accused of paying a teen £35,000 for sexual pictures.
The presenter has not been named, but is a familiar face known to millions.
Now a Beeb source has told The Sun: “The BBC has started to receive calls from the public about the behaviour of the person at the centre of the investigation.”
Latest on BBC sex probe
- BBC star who 'paid teen for sex pics' could face years in prison
- Teen's mum claims star stripped to his pants for call
- 8 questions BBC refused to answer about star taken off air
- Star 'partied with BBC bosses AFTER complaint made'
- Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark & Jeremy Vine all deny being the star
- The presenter allegedly gave the teen £35k for sordid images
- Mum blames BBC man for giving money for drugs to her child
- Piers Morgan blasts 'ridiculous' BBC coverage
- BBC 'is getting calls from MORE members of public about the behaviour of the presenter'
- A cop who exposed paedophile BBC star Jimmy Savile said the broadcaster MUST name the presenter
BBC MUST name presenter who ‘paid teen for sex pics’, says Jimmy Savile cop
A cop who exposed paedophile BBC star Jimmy Savile said the broadcaster MUST name the presenter who allegedly paid a teen for sexual pics.
Met Police investigators have been called in by the BBC after it suspended the star, who is accused of giving the youngster more than £35,000 for sordid snaps.
Former Surrey Police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who exposed Savile as a paedo, said that the public need to know who the presenter is.
He told the : "It’s the same failed process as Savile, yet again.
"The BBC has already had a month to look into this – they should have concluded their investigation by now and named the individual in question.
"It’s all about openness and transparency, but the BBC has got a track record of carrying out fatally flawed investigations."
Scotland Yard contacted by the BBC
Scotland Yard yesterday confirmed they had been contacted by the BBC but no formal report has been made.
A spokesperson added: "We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow."
The Sun exclusively revealed the presenter was taken off air after he allegedly paid the youngster over £35,000 since they were 17.
The mum told how the teenager used the man’s alleged funds to feed a drug addiction.
BBC bosses set to meet police today
Police are meeting with BBC chiefs today over bombshell claims a presenter paid a teen for sex pictures.
The well-known man allegedly gave the youngster more than £35,000 over three years.
A scandal has now erupted at the BBC, with the presenter suspended and an urgent investigation launched.
The broadcaster confirmed bosses will meet with the Met Police later today to decide whether or not the unnamed presenter has broken the law.
He could face charges of causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child under the Sexual Offences Act, which carries a maximum 14-year sentence.
The presenter could also be charged with making or possessing indecent images, which has a maximum tariff of ten years.
Top BBC star who ‘paid child for sex pictures’ could be charged by cops
The top BBC star who is accused of paying a child for sexual photos could face criminal charges and years behind bars, an expert says.
The well-known presenter allegedly gave the teen more than £35,000 for sordid images in a scandal that has rocked the national broadcaster.
The Sun exclusively revealed that the star was taken off air, and that the child's mum saw images of him sitting on his sofa in his underpants.
Now Nazir Afzal, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor who led the prosecution in the Rochdale grooming gang cases, has the presenter could potentially be charged with sexual exploitation under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
He added: “The police should have been engaged as soon as they worked out whether the complaint was genuine.
“Where are we now — the middle of July? Six, seven weeks on.
“They should have advised the police that this is a matter that they should be investigating, and that should have been done weeks ago.
“There’s no justification for the police not having become involved as early as possible.”
Under the Protection of Children Act 1978, it is an offence to "make, distribute, possess or show any indecent images of anyone aged under 18".