LONDON — British detectives met with representatives of the BBC on Monday over allegations {that a} main presenter paid a youngster for sexually express photographs. But police mentioned they'd not opened a legal investigation, and a lawyer for the younger individual denied something inappropriate had occurred.

The U.Okay.’s publicly funded nationwide broadcaster has suspended the male star, who has not been named, over allegations he gave a youth 35,000 kilos ($45,000) beginning in 2020 when the younger individual was 17.

Though the age of sexual consent in Britain is 16, it's a crime to make or possess indecent photos of anybody below 18.

London’s Metropolitan Police power mentioned detectives had been “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,” the power mentioned.

The Sun newspaper, which first reported the allegations, mentioned that the younger individual’s mom had complained to the BBC in May however that the presenter had remained on the air. The mother and father then went to the tabloid with the story.

In an additional twist, a lawyer for the younger individual — who additionally has not been named — advised the BBC that “nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality.” The lawyer mentioned the allegations reported in The Sun had been “rubbish.”

The newspaper defended its actions, saying it “reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behavior of a presenter and the welfare of their child.”

“Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC. We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. It’s now for the BBC to properly investigate,” the newspaper mentioned.

The BBC has been scrambling to stem a rising disaster for the reason that claims had been first revealed by The Sun over the weekend. It mentioned in an announcement Sunday that it “first became aware of a complaint in May,” however that “new allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature.”

The broadcaster mentioned that “the BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations.” It mentioned the company had additionally been in contact with “external authorities,” however didn't specify whether or not that was the police.

“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 mentioned.

“We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.”

The presenter’s identify has not been disclosed due to British privateness legal guidelines. But that has not stopped fevered hypothesis on social media in regards to the man’s id.

Several of the BBC’s best-known stars spoke as much as say it wasn’t them and even threatened to take authorized motion in opposition to on-line accusers.

Radio host Nicky Campbell mentioned it had been “a distressing weekend, I can’t deny it, for me and others falsely named.”

“Today I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation,” Campbell mentioned on his BBC radio program.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman, Max Blain, mentioned the allegations had been “concerning,” however that the federal government had been “assured that the BBC is investigating this matter quickly.”

“The first thing to do is establish the facts and ensure they are set out at the appropriate time,” he mentioned.

The state of affairs comes weeks after business U.Okay. broadcaster ITV confronted its personal scandal when Phillip Schofield, a long-time host on the channel’s fashionable morning present, stop in May, admitting he had lied about an affair with a a lot youthful colleague.

ITV executives had been summoned to Parliament to reply questions on whether or not the broadcaster had a “toxic” work tradition and had lined up misconduct by stars.

The BBC faces larger scrutiny than different broadcasters due to its standing as a nationwide establishment funded by an annual license charge of 159 kilos ($203) paid by all households with a tv.

It has been hit by a number of scandals involving its stars over time, most notoriously when longtime kids’s TV host Jimmy Savile was uncovered after his demise in 2011 as a pedophile who abused kids and youths over a number of a long time.

Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com