BBC Suspends Presenter Over Claims He Paid a Teenager for Explicit Photos

People arrive and depart from Broadcasting House, the headquarters of the BBC, in London, on July 2, 2015. Paul Hackett/File Photo/Reuters

The BBC has suspended an unnamed leading presenter who is alleged to have paid a teenager thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos.

The Sun newspaper, which first reported the allegations, said last week that one of the BBC’s star presenters paid a teenager more than £35,000 ($45,000) over three years to pose for sexually explicit photos, beginning when the youth was 17 years old.

The mother of the youth told the newspaper that the teenager had used the cash to fund a crack cocaine habit.

The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19 but allegedly became frustrated that the star remained on air.

In a statement released on Sunday, a BBC spokesperson said: “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 inquiries 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.”

‘Deeply Concerning’

Earlier on Sunday, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer had an urgent phone call with BBC Director-General Tim Davie over the allegations.

Following the phone call, she wrote on Twitter: “I have spoken to BBC Director-General Tim Davie about the deeply concerning allegations involving one of its presenters.

“He has assured me 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,“ she added. ”I will be kept updated.”

Appearing on the BBC’s “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg” show, Labour’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, urged the broadcasters to “speed up their processes” in investigating such allegations, describing their response time as “not good enough.”

‘Unsubstantiated Rumours’

Meanwhile, the BBC director-general said he is “wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent” after a host of BBC presenters were forced to publicly state they were not the individual in question amid heavy speculation about the identity on social media.

In a note sent to staff, Mr. Davie said: “By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. 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.”

Gary Lineker and Rylan Clark were among the BBC stars who publicly stated they were not the presenter in question, with Lineker writing on Twitter: “Hate to disappoint the haters but it’s not me.”

Clark 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.”

Jeremy Vine said: “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.”

Nicky Campbell suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.

PA Media and Reuters contributed to this report.